Arab countries hail restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia, Iran

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Several Arab countries welcomed the announcement Friday of the restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran following talks in Beijing.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry hoped "the agreement will ease tensions in the region and contribute to stabilizing and preserving the capabilities of Arab national security."

Iraq said it considers "a new page has been opened in diplomatic relations between the two countries.”

The Sultanate of Oman welcomed the deal.

"This is a win-win for everyone and will benefit regional and global security. We hope in the longer term there’s also potential for increasing economic benefits for all," Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi wrote on Twitter.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani welcomed the agreement during a telephone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, according to Qatar's state news agency QNA.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed hope that the agreement would boost security and stability in the region and meet the aspirations of the people in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the entire region.

Other welcoming statements were expressed by the Houthi group in Yemeni Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestinian.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume ties after several days of deliberations between top security officials.

The two neighboring countries severed ties after the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran was attacked by an angry mob in January 2016 following the execution of Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

The two countries have been engaged in marathon talks since April 2021 to restore ties. The talks were brokered by Baghdad.

Tehran and Riyadh noted progress but the breakthrough had been elusive until the announcement of a deal Friday.