JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Aug 19, 2023 (BSS//AFP) - Iran's foreign minister met
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler on Friday during his first visit since the
Middle East rivals announced a surprise rapprochement, officials said.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who travelled to Riyadh on Thursday, held talks
with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry
announced, after extending a scheduled one-day visit.

The two reviewed relations between the countries, "future opportunities for
cooperation... and ways to develop them, in addition to discussing
developments in the situation on the regional and international arenas", the
foreign ministry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said the visit was the first time a senior
Iranian official had met with Prince Mohammed, 37, who has ushered in a
series of reforms in the conservative kingdom.

IRNA later reported that Iran extended an invitation for the Saudi crown
prince to visit the Islamic republic and that Prince Mohammed accepted.

In a statement posted on X, Amir-Abdollahian called the 90-minute meeting a
"direct, frank, and productive conversation" that addressed bilateral
relations, security and development.

"The way to the success of the region is to strengthen dialogue and
cooperation and increase development-oriented cooperation," he said,
according to a statement from Tehran's foreign ministry.

Shiite Muslim-majority Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi broke off ties in 2016, but
they agreed to restore diplomatic relations in a Chinese-brokered deal in
March.

The announcement sparked optimism as the two regional heavyweights have
backed opposing sides in conflict zones across the Middle East for years,
including in Yemen, Saudi Arabia's impoverished neighbour.

On Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian said ties "are progressing in the right
direction" as he appeared in front of the media with his Saudi counterpart,
Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

His visit would "be a prelude to the meeting of the heads of the two
countries", he said, without specifying when Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi
would travel to Saudi Arabia at King Salman's invitation.

Iran's top diplomat hailed economic and security cooperation between the two
countries, but announced no new agreements. He was accompanied by Iran's new
ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati.

"We are sure that these meetings and cooperation will help the unity of the
Islamic world," Amir-Abdollahian added, proposing a "regional dialogue"
without giving details.

Since the March deal, Saudi Arabia has ramped up a push for peace in Yemen,
holding direct talks with Huthi leaders in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and
championed the return of key Iran ally Syria to the Arab League.