[#Saudi Foreign Minister visits Iran for the first time in 17 years#, marking a further step in the reconciliation process of Isha] Nearly 100 days after Iran and Saudi Arabia unexpectedly announced the restoration of diplomatic relations, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal arrived in Tehran on the 17th. This is the first Saudi foreign minister's visit to Iraq in 17 years, marking a further step in the diplomatic reconciliation process between the two major powers in the region. There is great concern in Iran.
Faisal met with Iranian President Raisi in Tehran and handed him a letter from Saudi King Salman inviting Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia. The date of the visit has not yet been announced, but the analysis anticipates that the visit will mark the finalization of the reconciliation process between the two countries. In Iran's view, this marks a setback for the U.S. and Israeli pressure policies against Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian described Faisal's visit as a "positive step," saying it would open a new chapter in bilateral relations.
The region has undergone a series of changes as relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia thawed, with Saudi Arabia resuming engagement with Syria, Syria resuming membership in the Arab League, Saudi Arabia stepping up peace efforts in Yemen, and Iran trying to mend tensions with several Gulf Arab states. Iran is expected to resume diplomatic relations with Bahrain and Egypt in the near future.
But when the foreign ministers of the two sides met, the Saudi side proposed to change the place of the press conference because of the portrait of Suleimani hanging there. The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied this, saying that the temporary change of location was due to technical problems. But it also shows that Iran and Saudi Arabia still have some insurmountable political differences, and there is still a long way to go from restoring normal relations to becoming close friends. (Reporting by Phoenix Satellite TV Zheng Kai, Li Rui, Musen Tehran)
