After cutting diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016, Saudi Arabia has recently shown a change in attitude.

Tehran has announced that three Iranian diplomats have been granted visas to the Saudi city of Jeddah. 

According to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran were mediated by Iraq. The Iranian Foreign Minister reported that the talks had gone well, detailing that Saudi officials responded positively to "constructive proposals."

These included the restoring of diplomatic ties by granting visas to three officials to reside and be part of the Islamic Cooperation Organization, a Jeddah-based body comprised of 57 Muslim nations.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian hosted his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein and his entourage including Qassim al-Araji, the Iraqi government's national security adviser in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/pjLWx9bOTD

— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) December 23, 2021

Amir-Abdollahian disclosed that new rounds of meetings would take place in the near future in order to discuss the reopening of both countries' embassies, which have been closed for nearly 6 years. 

The Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein told reporters today that “the time has come" for Iran and the US to begin negotiations regarding the future of the nuclear deal, adding that Iraq is willing to assist with negotiations.