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Leaders in the US and France have reacted with cautious optimism to the surprise announcement that Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to restore ties and reopen diplomatic missions in a deal brokered by China.
The White House welcomed the deal, but said it remains to be seen whether the Iranians will “meet their obligations”.
France also saluted the move, saying it was in favour of dialogue, but urged Iran to “renounce its destabilising actions”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement and said he remains ready to “use his good offices to further advance regional dialogue”.
“Good neighbourly relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are essential for the stability of the Gulf region,” he said through his spokesman.
Friday’s announcement followed five days of previously unannounced talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing and several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman.
In a trilateral statement, Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia said they would repoen embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.
>> Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to re-establish relations after years of tensions
Riyadh cut ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr – just one in a series of flashpoints between the two long-standing rivals.
‘New horizons’
The detente between Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, and Iran, a pariah for Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterised by turbulence for decades.
Iran and Saudi Arabia support rival sides in several conflict zones including Yemen, where the Huthi…
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Source : france24
