Iran is ready to take relations with Saudi Arabia to a new level if the kingdom is serious about continuing negotiations and agrees to open embassies and consulates in both countries, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th February, 2023) Iran is ready to take relations with Saudi Arabia to a new level if the kingdom is serious about continuing negotiations and agrees to open embassies and consulates in both countries, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said on Monday.
"Iran has repeatedly stated that if Saudi Arabia is serious about continuing negotiations, Iran is ready to continue them and move from the level when it comes only to security issues to the level of political interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries ... and also to complete negotiations ... on opening embassies and consulates in both states. This is our official position," he was quoted by the IRNA news agency as saying.
Kanaani added that Iran was interested in normalization of relations between both countries.
Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia soured in January 2016 following Riyadh's decision to execute Shia cleric Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr, who questioned the Gulf monarchy's authority. On the same day, crowds of Iranians broke into the territory of Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad. In response, Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran.
