Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has invited Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to a state visit, according to information from Tehran. Raisi’s deputy chief of office, Mohammed Jamshidi, tweeted that the king welcomed the recent agreement to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries and invited the president to Riyadh. Raisi accepted the invitation, emphasizing Iran’s willingness to expand cooperation between the two countries. A date for the planned visit was not initially given.
Iran and Saudi Arabia want to resume diplomatic relations after seven years of ice age. As a first step, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the rival countries was decided at the beginning of the month, which is to take place soon. Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran have not maintained diplomatic relations in recent years. Both countries are struggling for political and military influence in the region.
