Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Iran submits credentials

TEHRAN, Iran

Saudi Arabia's newly-appointed ambassador to Tehran presented a copy of his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday, days after assuming charge.

At a ceremony held on the Foreign Ministry premises, Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi met with Amir-Abdollahian and formally commenced his diplomatic mission in Iran.

Al-Anzi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday and told reporters that his mandate was to "enhance relations and strengthen communication and meetings" between the two countries.

He previously served as the oil-rich kingdom's ambassador to Oman.

The Saudi Embassy in the Iranian capital resumed its operations last month after a hiatus of more than seven years.

Iran's new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, also submitted his credentials to the director general of the Saudi Foreign Ministry Abdul Majid al-Sameri following his arrival in Riyadh earlier this week.

Before leaving for Riyadh, he met with President Ebrahim Raisi who described Iran and Saudi Arabia as "two influential countries in West Asia and the Muslim world" and called for the "promotion of ties" between them.

Iran and Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties in January 2016 after the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad were attacked by mobs following the execution of a Saudi Shia cleric.

They started fence-mending talks in April 2021 with the mediation of Iraq and Oman and the marathon talks resulted in a breakthrough in Beijing in March this year.

Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh and the consulate and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) mission in the port city of Jeddah in early June.