Iran announces FM's visit to Saudi Arabia in near future
3 Min Read
The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson says Amir-Abdollahian will head to Riyadh on an official visit, as he answers several question on recent events.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2023. (AFP)
Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is scheduled to visit Riyadh following an invitation from his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
The Ministry's Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told the press that the two diplomats will hold "negotiations and consultations" on regional, international, and economic issues.
The Iranian official added that the talks are expected to yield improved results on the level of bilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
He also revealed that President Raisi has in fact received an official invitation from King Salman Al-Saud, however, the trip has not yet been scheduled.
Read more: Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran resumes its work officially
ISIS terrorist attack in Shiraz
Kanaani also condemned the ISIS terrorist attack that struck the Iranian city of Shiraz on Sunday, killing one person and injuring at least eight others, three of which are in critical condition.
He added that ISIS terrorists attempt to take revenge against the Islamic Republic of Iran after it dealt heavy blows to them in various areas over the past several years.
The official pointed to the significant role that Martyr Qassem Soleimani played in the fight against terrorism in the region, saying that were it not for the tireless struggle of the late IRGC leader, extremist groups would have continued to disrupt the stability of Middle Eastern nations.
Read more: General Soleimani, the revolutionary, the martyr, the legend
This is the moment the terrorist attack on the #ShahCheragh mosque happened in #Shiraz. Iranian authorities reported that 1 died and several were wounded as a result.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 13, 2023
Authorities also announced their capture of several individuals suspected of being involved in the terrorist… pic.twitter.com/nDKaJ2FiPt
MKO terrorists transferred to Canada
The official also answered a question on a recent development in which MKO leaders are expected to be transferred from Albania to Canada.
"We welcome any action that deals with them [MKO] and we consider this in line with the international responsibility of governments in confronting, dealing with, and curbing terrorist movements."
Kanaani stressed that Iran hopes that the Albanian government sticks to its promises, in order to deal with the terrorist organization.
Six billion dollars released from South Korea
Finally, the spokesperson noted that the release of funds blocked in the South Korean account due to illegal unilateral sanctions has been a top priority for Iran's diplomatic apparatus.
As part of the prisoner swap deal, Iran was able to secure the release of $6 billion of frozen assets in South Korea.
"All Iranian foreign-currency assets in South Korea have been unblocked. Soon all of these euro-denominated assets will all be deposited with six Iranian banks in Qatar and used to buy commodities that are not covered by sanctions," the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Mohammad Reza Farzin, announced on Saturday.
Iranian officials have relentlessly repeated that the South Korean government was obliged to unfreeze the country's funds, stressing that unilateral sanctions from the United States could not justify Seoul's inaction in repaying its debts to Tehran.
Iran and South Korea had previously agreed to use the funds for the latter to purchase humanitarian items from Iran, which was later prevented due to pressure from Washington.
Seoul's illegal compliance with the unilateral sanctions was met with restrictions on imports from South Korea as a retaliatory measure.
