- By Kathryn Armstrong
- BBC News
47 minutes ago
picture description,
President Raisi (pictured) is an ultra-conservative close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The invitation is said to have come in a letter from King Salman but has not yet been confirmed by the Saudis.
The recent history of the Middle East has been marked by hostilities between the two nations.
China mediated the thaw that could transform the geopolitics of the region.
A senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jamshidi, tweeted about the invitation to visit the Saudi capital, Riyadh, saying Mr. Raisi welcomed it and “stressed Iran’s willingness to expand cooperation.”
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters that the two countries had agreed to hold a foreign ministerial-level meeting and that three possible venues had been suggested.
He did not name the locations, nor did he say when the meeting might take place.
The BBC’s Middle East editor, Sebastian Usher, says the recent improvement in bilateral ties, which came unexpectedly after days of China-brokered talks, appears to be building serious momentum.
Both have said they will reopen the embassies within two months and restore trade and security ties.
This development was warmly welcomed by many, including the US and the United Nations, after previous attempts at reconciliation had failed.
Saudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after protesters stormed its embassy in Tehran.
Since then, tensions have often run high between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbors, each viewing the other as a menacing force seeking regional dominance.
Mr Amir-Abdollahian also said Iran hopes steps would be taken to improve ties with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally who followed Riyadh when it broke diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016.
“We hope that some obstacles between Iran and Bahrain will be removed and we will take basic steps to reopen the embassies,” he said.
Bahrain has not responded to the comments but previously welcomed the Iran-Saudi deal to restore diplomatic ties.
Iran has also expressed its willingness to resume or improve ties with other regional Arab rivals, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.