On September 18, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional developments. This is the latest high-level contact between the two countries since they reached a rapprochement agreement mediated by China in March 2023.
According to a statement, the two sides exchanged views on advancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of security and economy. The Iranian foreign minister emphasized the importance of maintaining regular dialogue to build mutual trust. On the Saudi side, Foreign Minister bin Farhan expressed a desire to promote practical steps to stabilize the regional situation.
The phone call comes as Iran-Saudi relations have shown clear signs of thawing after the two countries restored diplomatic ties. Analysts say maintaining regular dialogue is key to building trust and finding solutions to lingering disagreements related to regional flashpoints such as Yemen and Syria.
Earlier, in August 2023, the two countries exchanged ambassadors, marking an important step in the reconciliation process after seven years of severed relations. Diplomats assessed that maintaining a high-level communication channel will help the two countries handle sensitive issues peacefully, contributing to reducing tensions in the Middle East region.
