Carrying a message from the Saudi king to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Prince Faisal was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Later, Prince Faisal Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with the visiting Saudi foreign minister. Raisi welcomed the resumption of bilateral ties, saying the two countries are important and influential countries in the Muslim world.
This is Prince Faisal’s first visit to the Iranian capital after seven years of tensions.
How it happened
Saudi Arabia had cut ties in January 2016, following the storming of its embassy in Tehran after Riyadh executed a prominent Shia Muslim cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others on terror charges.
Seven years later, in March this year, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies, following an agreement brokered by China.
Both nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks. Last week, Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh as well as the consulate general and representative office to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.
Why it’s significant
Saudi Arabia is the leading Sunni Muslim power, and Iran is the largest Shia Muslim country. They had been locked in a struggle for regional dominance for decades, often rivalling one another in proxy wars across West Asia.
For example, Saudi Arabia backs pro-government forces in Yemen against the Houthi rebel movement since 2015. Iran is seen sympathetic to the Houthis, who have attacked Saudi cities and oil infrastructure.
The reopening of Iran’s embassy last week coincided with a visit to Saudi Arabia by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.