WANA (Apr 6) – Diplomacy in the region – West Asia – these days has a peculiar mood. From the warm courtesies at the IFTARs feast (evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan) of Iranian ambassadors with Saudi counterparts and their friendly diplomatic talks.

 

Everything shows that things are getting better between two rivals who attempted to weaken each other for years. Both countries have long list of the accusations and accuse each other of interfering in their affairs. We are talking about Iran and Saudi, two dominant and influential rulers in West Asia.

 

The foreign minister of Iran and Saudi Arabia finally met in Beijing – China on Thursday to be one step closer to friendship and resolving dilemmas.

It is the first official meeting of the foreign ministers after the termination of relations between the two countries in 2015.

 

In Iran, contrary to expectation, none of the wise political activists who defend the government or leading people is against restoring ties and improvement of Tehran-Riyadh relations.

 

Even the individuals accepted as hardliners by some media do not want to talk about what happened between the two countries before. No one wants to be known as the disturber of this good deal, even those who climbed the wall of the Saudi embassy.

 

It is hard to believe that the Iranian reformist leaders are the only people and politicians in Iran who are not very happy with this agreement which tells of improving the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. They did not like this treaty to be signed during the presidency of their rival Dr. Ebrahim Raisi. An agreement that neither Mohammad Khatami nor Hassan Rouhani, as the former presidents of Iran, could complete.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing, China, April 6, 2023. Iran's Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing, China, April 6, 2023. Iran’s Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

The discomfort of the reformist leaders and opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran in any way of interaction with regional countries, especially with the mediation of China or Russia, is completely understandable because they are fundamentally against the mastery of these two powers in Iran and believe that only the West and the United States are allowed to play the rule of the savior.

 

Undoubtedly, the first place of anger due to the friendship between Iran and Saudi Arabia belongs to Israel. The second place should be given to America and then to the political rivals of President Raisi inside Iran. This form of agreement is contempt for American policies in the West Asian region. In the coming months, we should see a greater gap between America and the Arab world.

 

Dr, Raisi’s government proved in the second year of their presidency that they understand the language of the world more than the reformists do.

Faisal bin Farhan FM of Saudi said that the new relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia created advanced positive atmosphere in the entire region. “We are ready to strengthen this positive atmosphere in regional relations with the help and cooperation of Iran.”

 

Amir Abdollahian, The foreign minister of Iran, while expressing his satisfaction of restoring relations between the two neighboring countries, friends and brothers to a normal state, announced Tehran’s readiness to develop relations with Riyadh in all fields of interest.

 

Today, Amirabdollahian and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed an agreement for the reopening of embassies and consulates in both countries at the highest level of the meeting between the two sides in more than seven years.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attend a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding in Beijing, China, April 6, 2023. Iran's Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attend a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding in Beijing, China, April 6, 2023. Iran’s Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Based on this joint statement, the two sides agreed to explore ways to expand their cooperation, including resuming flights, mutual trips of official delegations and the private sector, and facilitating the issuance of visas. The two sides emphasized their readiness to remove all the obstacles facing the expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

 

The President of China also stated after the meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia that “We support the further improvement of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia ”


By R.Ganji