Saudi Arabia agrees to admit Iranian diplomat to head interests section

Saudi Arabia has agreed to issue visa to an Iranian diplomat to head the Islamic Republic's interests section in the kingdom, in a rare move after the two countries broke off relations two years ago.

An informed diplomatic source told IRNA on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had agreed to grant a visa to a diplomat introduced as the caretaker of Iran's interests section.

Following the approval by Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry, head of the Oman and Yemen Department at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Alibek, has been appointed as the caretaker of the Islamic Republic's interests section in the city of Jeddah, the official Iranian news agency further said.

Observers see the move as a positive diplomatic step in Tehran-Riyadh relations, it added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday that Iran planned to open an interests section in Saudi Arabia.

“Advances have been made in the past two weeks and I believe there are signs that the interests section will open and become operational,” Qassemi added.

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia first soured after a deadly human crush during the Hajj rituals in September 2015, when hundreds of Iranian pilgrims among others lost their lives. Tensions further escalated a few months later following the kingdom's execution of prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Riyadh cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran in January 2016 following angry protests in front of its diplomatic premises in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad against the execution.

EA