海角大神

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions between the Mideast rivals. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China lowers the chance of armed conflict between the nations 鈥撀燽oth directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People鈥檚 Congress, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a yearslong war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.

The two countries released a joint communique on the deal with China, which brokered the agreement. Chinese state media did not immediately report the agreement.

Iranian state media posted images and video it described as being taken in China of the meeting. It showed Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran鈥檚 Supreme National Security Council, with Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Wang Yi, China鈥檚 most senior diplomat.

鈥淎fter implementing of the decision, the foreign ministers of the both nations will meet to prepare for exchange of ambassadors,鈥� Iranian state television said. It added that the talks had been held over four days.

The joint statement calls for the reestablishing of ties and the reopening of embassies to happen 鈥渨ithin a maximum period of two months.鈥�

In the footage aired by Iranian media, Mr. Wang could be heard offering 鈥渨hole-hearted congratulations鈥� on the two countries鈥� 鈥渨isdom.鈥�

鈥淏oth sides have displayed sincerity,鈥� he said. 鈥淐hina fully supports this agreement.鈥�

China, which recently hosted Iran鈥檚 hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, is also a top purchaser of Saudi oil. President Xi Jinping, just awarded a third five-year term as president earlier on Friday, visited Riyadh in December to attend meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to China鈥檚 energy supplies.

Iran鈥檚 state-run IRNA news agency quoted Mr. Shamkhani as calling the talks 鈥渃lear, transparent, comprehensive, and constructive.鈥�

鈥淩emoving misunderstandings and the future-oriented views in relations between Tehran and Riyadh will definitely lead to improving regional stability and security, as well as increasing cooperation among Persian Gulf nations and the world of Islam for managing current challenges,鈥� Mr. Shamkhani was quoted as saying.

Shortly after the Iranian announcement, Saudi state media began publishing the same statement.

Tensions have been high between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The kingdom broke off ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

The execution came as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then a deputy, began his rise to power. The son of King Salman, Prince Mohammed at one point compared Iran鈥檚 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Nazi Germany鈥檚 Adolf Hitler, and also threatened to strike Iran.

In the years since, tensions have risen dramatically across the Middle East since the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from Iran鈥檚 nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks in the time since, including one that targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia鈥檚 oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom鈥檚 crude production.

Though Yemen鈥檚 Iranian-backed Houthi rebels initially claimed the attack, Western nations and experts have blamed the attack on Tehran. Iran has long denied launching the attack. It has also denied carrying out other assaults later attributed to the Islamic Republic.

Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at Rice University鈥檚 Baker Institute who has long studied the region, said Saudi Arabia reaching the deal with Iran came after the United Arab Emirates reached a similar understanding with Tehran.

鈥淭his dialing down of tensions and de-escalation has been underway for three years and this was triggered by Saudi acknowledgement in their view that without unconditional U.S. backing they were unable to project power vis-a-vis Iran and the rest of the region,鈥� he said.

Prince Mohammed, now focused on massive construction projects in his own country, likely wants to finally pull out of the Yemen war as well, Mr. Ulrichsen added.

鈥淚nstability could do a lot of damage to his plans,鈥� he said.

The Houthis seized Yemen鈥檚 capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen鈥檚 exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting has created a humanitarian disaster and pushed the Arab world鈥檚 poorest nation to the brink of famine.

A six-month cease-fire in Yemen鈥檚 war, the longest of the conflict, expired in October despite diplomatic efforts to renew it. That led to fears the war could again escalate. More than 150,000 people have been killed in Yemen during the fighting, including over 14,500 civilians.

In recent months, negotiations have been ongoing, including in Oman, a longtime interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. Some have hoped for an agreement ahead of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which will begin later in March. Iran and Saudi Arabia have held off-and-on talks in recent years, but it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear if Yemen was the impetus for this new detente.

The U.S. Navy and its allies have seized a number of weapons shipments recently they describe as coming from Iran heading to Yemen. Iran denies arming the Houthis, despite weapons seized mirroring others seen on the battlefield in the rebels鈥� hands. A United Nations arms embargo bars nations from sending weapons to the Houthis.

It remains unclear, however, what this means for America. Though long viewed as guaranteeing Mideast energy security, regional leaders have grown increasingly wary of Washington鈥檚 intentions after its chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the announced deal.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽AP writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.