Iran, Saudi top diplomats agree to meet ahead of reopening embassies

ISTANBUL (AA) – The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to meet soon in preparation to reopen embassies and consulates of the two countries.

Saudi top diplomat Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian talked by phone late Tuesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

“At the beginning of the call, the two sides exchanged greetings on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan,” the ministry said.

“The two ministers agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them soon, in order to pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates between the two countries,” the ministry said without disclosing further details on the date of the upcoming meeting.

Following Chinese-brokered talks, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced on March 10 restoring mutual ties and planning to reopen embassies within two months.

In January 2016, Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Iran, following attacks on its embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad, in protest against the kingdom’s execution of Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, on charges including “terrorism.”