Tehran s diplomats are expected to attend a sub-ministerial meeting on January 23,
\n Tehran
\nIranian envoys have returned to the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, in the first such diplomatic move since the two countries cut ties in 2016, the foreign ministry announced.
\n\u201cThe delegation is now in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia) to start its work at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,\u201d Saeed Khatibzadeh said at his weekly news conference.
\nThis \u201ccan be a good prelude for the two sides to send delegations to visit their embassies\u201d, he added.
\nThe Iranian delegation have arrived in Jeddah but \u201chaven t attended any meetings yet\u201d, an OIC official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
\nTehran s diplomats are expected to attend a sub-ministerial meeting on January 23, he added.
\nShiite-majority Iran and the Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia are both members of the pan-Islamic body of 57 member states.
\nThe two regional rivals have so far held four rounds of talks in Iraq since April aimed at improving relations.
\n\u201cWe have given our written points of interest to the Saudi delegation at the fourth round of negotiations in Baghdad and we are awaiting the responses,\u201d Khatibzadeh said.
\nRiyadh and Tehran support rival sides in several conflict zones across the region, including in Syria and Yemen.
\nIn 2016, protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
\nRiyadh responded at the time by cutting ties with Tehran, while OIC foreign ministers condemned the violence.
\nKhatibzadeh reiterated Iran s position that Tehran is \u201cready to open its embassy\u201d but that depends on what \u201cpractical steps\u201d Saudi Arabia takes.
\nIn December, foreign ministry officials in both countries said the kingdom had granted visas to three Iranian diplomats to the OIC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tehran s diplomats are expected to attend a sub-ministerial meeting on January 23, Tehran Iranian envoys have returned to the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, in the first such diplomatic move since the two countries cut ties in 2016, the foreign ministry announced. \u201cThe delegation is now in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia) to start its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-239397","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n