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Iran, Saudi Arabia to resume relations in China-brokered deal

The deal to resume diplomatic ties was brokered by China and follows Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Beijing.

china saudi iran
Saudi national security adviser Musaad al-Aiban (L), Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani (R), and senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing Friday. — TWITTER/Nournews

Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to resume bilateral relations in a rare breakthrough brokered by China. The two countries will also reopen their embassies after years of a diplomatic freeze. 

The agreement followed months of talks in China between delegations led by Saudi national security adviser Musaad Al-Aiban and his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani. The intensified this week and were sponsored by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to a joint statement from Saudi Arabia, Iran and China released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

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