Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume ties, with China’s help

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish relations after years of hostility. The absence of ties between the two countries threatened stability and security in the gulf and helped fuel conflicts in west Asia, from Yemen to Syria. The deal, brokered by china, was announced after days of previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top officials from the two nations. As per a statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China, Tehran, and Riyadh agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies within two months. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 when its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute over Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric. The kingdom had also blamed Iran for missile and drone attacks on its oil facilities in 2019, as well as attacks on tankers in gulf waters. Iran had denied the charges. In the past, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has also allegedly carried out cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.