Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi diplomacy announced last Tuesday evening, two weeks after a ceasefire ended the war between Israel and Iran.

Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed “the Kingdom’s position in favor of dialogue and the use of diplomatic means as the only way to resolve conflicts,” Riyadh said via X, releasing photos and videos of the meeting between the two men.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi “praised the efforts made” by the crown prince “to promote security and stability in the region” and expressed “gratitude to the kingdom for the position it took in condemning the Israeli attack,” always according to Riyadh.

Majority Shiite Iran and majority Sunni Saudi Arabia have had strained relations – they have been at daggers drawn – for decades, with dramatically opposing positions on issues such as the Middle East, Syria, Yemen…

The two regional powers had severed bilateral diplomatic relations for seven years – until they were restored in 2023, a revival achieved under China’s auspices. It was signed as part of the policy of appeasement adopted in recent years by Mohammed bin Salman, while seeking to implement wide-ranging reforms in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia condemned in June the deadly, unprecedented Israeli bombing of Iran, deploring the “attack” and “flagrant violations” of international law. The kingdom also expressed its “grave concern” following the US bombing of three key Iranian nuclear facilities.