Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Iran: reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accepted the invitation to visit Iran by the acting president Mohammad Mokhber, Mehr news agency reported.

The news came after the duo had a phone call on Friday in which bin Salman offered condolences on the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions.

The crown prince emphasised on the growing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia for the region and the Islamic world as he said, “Tehran and Riyadh play a pivotal role in the region and the Islamic world, and by expanding relations between them, they can create a bright future for the region.”

Bin Salman further announced Saudi’s plan to expand the economic relations with Iran.

This will be marked as the first visit by a Saudi royal to Tehran in over two decades, signaling another step towards diplomatic engagement after years of strained ties.

Saudi Arabia split up diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016 when its embassy was stormed in Tehran after a Shi’ite Muslim cleric was executed in Riyadh. The tensions between the two nations extended when Iran's Houthi military struck missiles and drones on Saudi oil facilities and tankers in the Persian Gulf.