Iran accepts invitation for President Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia

Iran has accepted an invitation for President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has said.

It would be Mr Raisi’s first official trip to the kingdom.

The move is being seen as the latest in reconciliation efforts between the two countries, after a Chinese-brokered deal resulted in an agreement to restore diplomatic relations.

“Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has invited the President, and there has been a positive response to this invitation, and hopefully good things will happen,” Mr Mokhber was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

Co-operation and the enhancement of relations with regional states has been a top priority of the Raisi administration, Mr Mokhber said.

Riyadh severed ties with Tehran in 2016.

Under the Beijing-brokered deal, Iran and Saudi Arabia are due to reopen their embassies and consulates in the next two months.

Since April 2021, the two sides have held five rounds of negotiations in Baghdad.

Experts predict that the new relationship will reshape the region’s geopolitics that have been dominated by conflict and turbulence for years.

Mohammad Jamshidi, a senior Iranian official, said on Twitter that Tehran received an invitation to visit Riyadh.

Mr Jamshidi said Mr Raisi welcomed the move and “stressed Iran’s readiness to expand co-operation”.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian are expected to meet before the end of Ramadan to hold their first official discussion on developing relations.

During the meeting, the two diplomats will begin arranging the exchange of ambassadors and discuss ways to strengthen the renewed ties, according to the kingdom’s official SPA news agency.

The two states will also reactivate a 2001 security co-operation agreement and 1998 deals on the economy, trade, investment, technology, science, culture, sports and youths.