Saudi-Iran detente driving ‘wave of reconciliation’: China
China’s top diplomat has said that a Chinese-mediated detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia was driving a “wave of reconciliation” in the Middle East and pledged to firmly support Tehran on “issues concerning core interests”.
Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, made the comments during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
Wang told Amir-Abdollahian that Beijing appreciated Iran’s recent steps to improve ties with Saudi Arabia, including his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.
Wang also pledged to “continue to support countries in the Middle East in exploring a development path that suits their own national conditions, strengthening communication and dialogue, adhering to unity and self-improvement, and realizing good neighborliness and friendship”, Xinhua said.
The surprise detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, brokered by China in March, followed years of tensions between the two Middle East powers.
Officials in Tehran and Riyadh have said the two countries’ deteriorating relations with the United States was one of the main reasons for their shift in policy.
Since the detente, the two countries have moved towards reopening diplomatic missions in each other’s countries and Prince Mohammed has accepted an invitation from Amir-Abdollahian to visit Tehran, according to Tasnim news agency.
Iran’s foreign minister, during his call with Wang on Sunday, “expressed sincere gratitude to China for the constructive role it played in promoting the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia”.