Iran, Saudi Arabia must re-open embassies, Khamenei's top adviser says

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN (AA) - A top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader and former foreign minister has emphasized the need to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.

In an interview on Wednesday, Ali Akbar Velayati said Iran and Saudi Arabia are “neighbors” and must “co-exist with each other.”

The former top Iranian diplomat, who is an adviser on international affairs to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the embassies of the two countries must be reactivated to “solve problems.”

The two countries severed their diplomatic relations after a Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran was attacked by angry mobs in January 2016 over the execution of Shia Saudi cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Since last April, the two sides have been engaged in negotiations, brokered by Baghdad, to restore diplomatic ties.

The last few rounds of talks have eased tensions, with Amir-Abdollahian in July hinting that the talks would advance from the security to the political level.

There had also been speculation about a possible meeting at the level of foreign ministers; however, no side has confirmed it yet.

Iran recently resumed diplomatic ties with the UAE and Kuwait, the two close Saudi allies who had snapped ties with Tehran after the attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016, in solidarity with Riyadh.

Among the key sticking points in the marathon tension-easing talks is the devastating war in Yemen, where Iran and Saudi find themselves on the opposite side.

Meanwhile, in other remarks, Velayati termed recent events in Iran as “unfortunate,” referring to protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old who died in police custody for allegedly not wearing a headscarf properly.

He said foreign countries are “looking for an excuse” to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran, adding that European countries used to have an “independent policy,” but now follow the US.