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The Iranian foreign minister added that, in his view, it was possible to restore the country’s relations with Saudi Arabia.
Zarif said that Tehran had held three rounds of talks with the Saudis in Baghdad and that he was ready to send an ambassador. However, he noted that everyone is currently waiting for the results of Iran’s presidential election Sputnik, Sunday (20/6/20210).
Yesterday’s presidential election showed that Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s chief judge, considered a hardline anti-Western cleric, secured victory. He will replace the moderate Hassan Rouhani after eight years in office.
Also read: Cleric Ebrahim Raisi Becomes Iran’s New President
While it is so far unclear how Tehran’s attitude towards Riyadh will change under the new government, Zarif assured that Iran’s foreign policy of “reconciliation” with regional powers will remain in place.
Relations between the two countries suffered a major blow in 2016 which resulted in the two countries severing ties. Saudi authorities arrested and executed prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr for allegedly trying to interfere in Riyadh’s internal affairs illegally.
After his death, mobs of angry Iranians attacked the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran and set it on fire with Molotov cocktails. Riyadh lashed out at the Iranian authorities for their inaction in dealing with threats to its diplomatic mission and summoned all its diplomatic workers, and closed the embassy. Iran responded reciprocally at the time.
Also read: Ahmadinejad: Saudi Arabia and Iran Brothers, Must Work Together
(ian)
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