Iran Vice President: Raisi Accepts Invitation to Visit Saudi Arabia

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi (not pictured) in Tehran on March 4, 2023. (Iranian Presidency / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi (not pictured) in Tehran on March 4, 2023. (Iranian Presidency / AFP)
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Iran Vice President: Raisi Accepts Invitation to Visit Saudi Arabia

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi (not pictured) in Tehran on March 4, 2023. (Iranian Presidency / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi (not pictured) in Tehran on March 4, 2023. (Iranian Presidency / AFP)

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber revealed that President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia.

He made the announcement hours after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held telephone talks on Sunday.

The FMs discussed the future steps that will be taken after the Kingdom and Iran agreed to normalize relations through a China-mediated deal.

Mokhber told Iran’s Mehr news agency that the presidency’s “main strategy is improving relations with regional countries.”

The rapprochement is not a “coincidence” but a product of planning “that should have taken place at the right moment, and this is what’s happening.”

Riyadh did not comment on the report on Raisi’s invitation.

Saudi Arabia and Iran announced in March that they had agreed to restore their diplomatic ties. The move was widely welcomed on the regional and international scenes.



Albudaiwi Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
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Albudaiwi Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi welcomed the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

He expressed hope that the agreement would contribute to restoring security and peace in the Gaza Strip, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to its residents, and facilitating the return of displaced individuals to their homes.

Albudaiwi also highlighted the devastating impact of the war waged by Israel on the Palestinian enclave, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure, and an unprecedented deterioration in humanitarian conditions.

Moreover, he commended Qatar, Egypt, and the US for their significant efforts and diligent work with all relevant parties to reach the agreement.

Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC's steadfast position on the Palestinian cause, emphasizing support for the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the guarantee of refugees' rights.