Iranian Ambassador
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that its ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati is reaching Riyadh. Enayati would assume leadership of Tehran’s diplomatic mission in Jeddah, which reopened in June after seven years.
Alireza Enayati, Iran’s new envoy to the KSA, met with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian before departing for Riyadh. In June, Tehran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh.
Iranian Ambassador Alireza Enayati is reaching Jeddah to assume his new role.
Earlier, Iran reopened its consulate in Jeddah and its representative office with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It marked the end of a seven-year diplomatic rift.
Both countries severed their diplomatic ties in 2016 after demonstrators stormed Saudi missions in Iran. They did it in response to the Sunni-majority kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shia religious leader.
However, they agreed to restore relations in a deal signed in Beijing in March. China facilitated the deal following five rounds of direct talks. Iraq and Oman also played an important role in this matter.
Enayati, a former envoy to Kuwait and a Foreign Ministry deputy for regional affairs, recently traveled to Riyadh to assist in preparing the embassy. In mid-August, he hosted Amirabdollahian at the embassy when the top diplomat visited the kingdom for meetings with his counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Amirabdollahian’s visit to the kingdom followed the hosting of his Saudi counterpart in Tehran in mid-June, during which they both highlighted the re-establishment of relations.
Iran has announced that President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation for a historic visit to Saudi Arabia in the near future, although no specific date has been set yet.
In an interview, Enayati stated that bilateral relations are making steady progress.
