Saudi officials arrive in Iran to discuss reopening diplomatic missions

DUBAI: Saudi officials have arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad after China brokered a deal to restore relations between the two countries, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The visit follows an unprecedented meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries in China this week after they agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties.

Saturday's visit is part of "implementing the tripartite agreement" reached on March 10 between the two regional powers, brokered by China, to restore relations ruptured in 2016, the Saudi foreign ministry said, cited by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The two longtime Middle East rivals have now pledged to work together.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beijing on Thursday and vowed to bring "security and stability" to the turbulent Gulf region.

On Saturday, a Saudi "technical delegation" met Iran's chief of protocol at the foreign ministry in Tehran, SPA said.

After years of hostility that fuelled conflicts, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their diplomatic missions in March.

Chinese President Xi Jinping helped broker the surprise deal which left the United States on the sidelines.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh’s execution of a Shiite cleric.