Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Lebanon must observe its own interests when choosing its president, stressing that the country requires joint Lebanese-only efforts to elect a president, not an "Iranian-Saudi rapprochement".

On the other hand, Bin Farhan revealed an Arab effort to formulate a dialogue that will "inevitably" take place with Damascus, in consultation with the international community.

He continued, "We must find a way to overcome the challenges posed by this status quo with regard to refugees and the humanitarian situation inside Syria."

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This is the second time that the Saudi Foreign Minister has addressed Syria's return to the Arab world in the last few days, as he stated on March 8 that "there is a dialogue for Syria's return to the Arab world, but it is too early to talk about that."

In another context, Bin Farhan said the recent developments in the Palestinian territories are "very disturbing", referring to the recent Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities.

He expressed fear of an "unstoppable cycle of escalation" and said that "it is the responsibility of the Israeli side to stop these successive measures and calm down."

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The Saudi Minister said the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran "came as a result of talks that lasted for two years, at the end of which we reached understandings based on good neighborly relations and respect for the sovereignty of states, with the Kingdom's conviction that dialogue is the most effective method."

He added, "We look optimistically to the future, and we are working to consolidate the relationship and protect the security of the region."

China scores international achievement

After seven years of strained ties, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and re-open their embassies after a series of talks brokered in Beijing, China, under the auspices of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

According to the joint statement, "The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic ties and reopen embassies and missions within two months of talks."

The two countries also said they "thank the Republic of Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman for hosting the talks held between the two sides in 2021 and 2022, as well as the leaders and government of the People's Republic of China for hosting and supporting the talks held in that country." 

The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia will meet to implement this agreement and make the necessary arrangements for the exchange of ambassadors soon.

Several Arab countries reflected their views on the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia most notably the UAE, Egypt, and Qatar. The countries touched on the subject by expressing hope for the future.

Some background

Diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia deteriorated following the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr in January 2016.

Sheikh Al-Nimr was a vocal critic of the Saudi government who raised constantly called out Riyadh's corruption and political injustice inflicted on marginalized groups that constitute minorities in different regions of the Kingdom, notably Al-Qatif. 

Also, Iran continuously expressed support for Sanaa in its self-defense against the Saudi-led coalition aggression against the country, which resulted in further drift between Tehran and Riyadh during the past year.