A “technical delegation” from Saudi Arabia led by Nasser bin Awad Al-Ghannoum has visited the Kingdom’s embassy building in Tehran.
The Saudi delegation arrived in Iran three days after a meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beijing.
The foreign ministers had signed a memorandum of understanding to resume diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
A trilateral agreement between Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China to restore diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran had been reached about a month prior.
Iranian government news agency ISNA said that a Saudi “technical delegation” met Iran's chief of protocol, Mehdi Honardoust, at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran.
According to ISNA, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has announced that its technical team will travel to Saudi Arabia later this week to inspect the Iranian embassy in Riyadh and plan for its reopening.
Director General of Iran's Foreign Ministry Office for Gulf Affairs Alireza Enayati said that the Iranian delegation is putting the final touches on its visit to Saudi Arabia to reopen the embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah.
Enayati added that the Iranian delegation to visit the Kingdom will comprise two subgroups, one of which will remain in Jeddah, and the other one will go to Riyadh.
Regarding the visit date, he said: “It is likely to be at the end of this week.”
Enayati also stated that “flights between the two countries will resume according to the agreement reached with Saudi Arabia.”
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reported that the Iranian technical team will head to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The meeting between Saudi Arabian and Iranian top diplomats in Beijing received considerable attention from Iranian analysts and observers, particularly regarding China’s growing role in the region.
Despite domestic criticism of the policy of turning to the East, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for pursuing this policy to nullify the effects of US sanctions.
