Saudi Arabia, Iran relations 'on the right track', Iranian minister says after Riyadh talks

Saudi Arabia and Iran are making progress on mending ties, Iran's foreign minister said after meeting with his counterpart in Riyadh on Thursday, as two regional heavyweights seek to overcome past hostility and boost cooperation.

"Relations between Tehran and Saudi are on the right track and we are witnessing progress," Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, adding that "the talks were successful."

His visit to the kingdom comes months after Prince Faisal met with Iranian officials in Tehran in June on his first trip to the Islamic Republic country after a China-brokered deal between the regional rivals in March to resume ties.

Agreements reached under the China-brokered deal

Under the deal, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end a diplomatic rift and reestablish relations following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability in the Gulf, as well as in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran in retaliation for Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. READ MORE