TEHRAN: Iran’s top diplomat preached unity and dialogue during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, his first since the two Middle East rivals announced a surprise rapprochement in March.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also took the opportunity to reiterate the Islamic Republic’s support for the Palestinian cause at a time when Riyadh is in discussions with the United States about potentially normalising ties with Israel. Ties between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran “are progressing in the right direction,” Amir-Abdollahian told reporters at a press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, touting economic and security cooperation without announcing any new agreements. Thursday’s meeting in the Saudi foreign ministry’s Islamic Solidarity Hall “will be a prelude to the meeting of the heads of the two countries”, he added, without specifying when President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Saudi Arabia at King Salman’s invitation. –Agencies
