Advertisement
Saudi Arabia urges improved maritime security in Gulf as ties with Iran resume
- Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan made a landmark visit to the Islamic republic on Saturday following a seven-year rupture
- He held talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian focusing on regional security, and was also to meet President Ebrahim Raisi
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
3
![Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, right, meets Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Tehran, Iran on Saturday. Photo: WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/06/18/3b4398fa-1bd0-461b-aecf-3cd7795f3e86_5bbf40f0.jpg?itok=HQ4qPGq9&v=1687020714)
Iran and Saudi Arabia took a further step on Saturday to seal their reconciliation as Riyadh’s top diplomat made a landmark visit to the Islamic republic following a seven-year rupture.
Advertisement
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian focusing on regional security, and was also to meet President Ebrahim Raisi.
Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia severed relations with Shiite-led Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
![Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, front left, meets his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, front right, in Iran on Saturday. Photo: Rouzbeh Fouladi / Zuma Press Wire / dpa Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, front left, meets his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, front right, in Iran on Saturday. Photo: Rouzbeh Fouladi / Zuma Press Wire / dpa](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/06/18/2bb62ad3-6d91-458b-8598-843b8d999b1f_0c42f09f.jpg)
But the two countries agreed in March to mend ties and reopen their respective embassies, in a Chinese-brokered deal that has shifted regional relations.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
Advertisement