TEHRAN -- Three Iranian diplomats have arrived in Saudi Arabia to represent Tehran in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, reports said on Monday.
They arrived several days ago, marking the first time that Saudi Arabia is receiving diplomats from Iran since 2016. That’s when Saudi Arabia severed relations with the Islamic Republic after protesters held angry gatherings outside Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran over the kingdom’s execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
The development reflects the potential for improving ties and a possible exchange of diplomats between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is the permanent venue of the 57-member organization.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters that Iran is focusing for now on reopening its offices in OIC with three diplomats. Iran has long said it’s ready to reopen its embassy in Riyadh.
In recent months, neighboring Iraq has hosted talks between Iran and Saud Arabia aimed at normalizing ties.
Preparations are currently under way for a fifth round.
“I believe the Saudi side is interested in talks on some regional issues as well, but our negotiations, for now, are focused on bilateral issues and on when to return relations to a normal state,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian told Al Jazeera last week.
Amirabdollahian did, however, say the two need to engage in “close dialogue” to resolve regional issues in the long term.