Beijing mediated the initial reconciliation agreement in March.

According to Iran’s semiofficial news agency ISNA, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to reopen diplomatic missions in their respective capitals and other cities. The report received no immediate official confirmation.

Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing on Thursday.

Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing on Thursday.

As part of the reported agreement, the two sides would also investigate the possibility of resuming flights between the two countries and easing the visa process for citizens of both countries. Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been adversaries in the region, but they have begun to reconcile as part of a deal brokered by China last month.

If confirmed, the agreement would mark a new step towards peace after seven years of conflict. The rapprochement, which began last month, reduces the likelihood of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals – both directly and through proxy conflicts throughout the region.

Beijing mediated the initial reconciliation agreement in March.

It represents a significant diplomatic victory for China, as Gulf Arab states perceive the US gradually withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats work to end a long war in Yemen, in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply involved.

Saudi Arabia’s state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV showed Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, shaking hands and sitting side by side on Thursday morning. According to Iranian state television, the two ministers met to discuss the specifics of reopening embassies.

It was the first formal meeting of senior diplomats from the two countries since the kingdom severed ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric along with 46 others just days before, sparking the protests.

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