Iran and Saudi Arabia: Key developments towards resumption of ties
FILE PHOTO-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stands next to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China, February 14, 2023. Iran’s President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to reestablish relations after a seven-year diplomatic rupture, according to a statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China.
Here are key dates in Saudi-Iranian relations since the suspension of ties in 2016:
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January 2, 2016: Saudi Arabia executes nearly 50 people including prominent Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Protesters in Tehran storm the Saudi embassy and Shi’ite Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vows “divine vengeance” for Nimr’s execution.
January 3, 2016: Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran.
READ: Saudi severs ties with Iran
January 7, 2016: Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of air strikes on its embassy in Yemen. Saudi officials dismiss the claim as propaganda.
May 29, 2016: Iran bans its pilgrims from attending the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage, blaming Saudi Arabia for “sabotage” and failing to guarantee the safety of pilgrims.
September 14, 2019: Saudi Arabia blames Iran for attacks on its oil installations that knocked out half of the kingdom’s supply. Iran denies involvement; Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claims responsibility for the attacks.
January 3, 2020: Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian military commander, is killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
April 9, 2021: Iran and Saudi Arabia hold their first direct talks since the rupture, hosted by Baghdad. Between April and September 2022, four rounds of talks are held, mostly mediated by Iraq and Oman.
March 13, 2022: Iran pulls out of talks ahead of a planned fifth round without giving a reason, a day after mass executions in Saudi Arabia that activists said included 41 Shi’ite Muslims.
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April 21, 2022: Iran and Saudi Arabia hold a fifth round of talks.
October 19, 2022: Top adviser to Iran’s Khamenei calls for reopening of Saudi, Iranian embassies.
December 9, 2022: Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Saudi Arabia, holds talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
February 16, 2023: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visits China to meet Xi.
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