Longtime rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic ties after seven years following talks brokered by China, Reuters reported.
On Mar. 10, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a join trilateral statement with Iran and China saying it had reached an agreement with Iran following talks that were held from Mar. 6 to 10 in Beijing.
Both Iran and Saudi Arabia thanked China for hosting and sponsoring the talks.
The two countries also thanked Iraq and Oman for hosting previous rounds of dialogues from 2021 to 2022.
The agreement to resume relations includes re-opening embassies and missions in each other's countries within a period of two months.
The statement also included an affirmation of the respect of the sovereignty of states and non-interference in internal affairs.
Wang Yi: China has fulfilled its duties as a host
Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported that China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, congratulated both countries for taking a "historical step" forward.
Wang added that such an agreement has opened a route to regional peace and stability in the Middle East, and has also set an example of settling divergences and differences among countries via dialogue and consultation.
Reuters further described the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran as a diplomatic win for China.
In calling the agreement a "victory for peace" Wang was quoted by Reuters as saying, ""As a good-faith and reliable mediator, China has faithfully fulfilled its duties as the host."
Wang also stressed that China would continue demonstrate its responsibility and play a "constructive role" in handling "hotspot issues" around the world.
He added, "The world is not just limited to the Ukraine issue."
U.S. knew of talks but not involved, supportive of process
Reuters also reported that Saudi Arabia had informed the U.S. about the talks.
A spokesperson for the White House said that while the U.S. was not involved, it was supportive of the process as a means to end the conflict in Yemen.
The spokesperson was quoted as saying, "This is not about China. We support any effort to de-escalate tensions in the region. We think that's in our interests, and it's something that we worked on through our own effective combination of deterrence and diplomacy."
How did Saudi Arabia and Iran break off relations?
According to the BBC, Saudi Arabia broke off ties with Iran seven years ago in January 2016, when Iranian protestors stormed Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran after it executed a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.
The two countries also support opposing sides in the war in Yemen, with Iran backing the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia backing Yemen's government, which was toppled by the rebels in 2014.
Saudi Arabia also also accused Iran of supporting the rebels to attack it directly.
In 2019, several oil facilities in Saudi Arabia were struck by missiles and drones, causing damage and disrupting production.
Iran denied that it was responsible for the attack, in response to accusations by Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
The Houthis have since welcomed the Mar. 10 agreement, Reuters reported.
Top photo via Xinhua News