Saudi Arabia has invited Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi for an official go to, based on its international minister, within the newest signal of a rapprochement between the regional rivals who’ve agreed to revive diplomatic relations and ease longstanding tensions.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday grew to become the primary senior Saudi official to go to Tehran in about twenty years.

Relations between the 2 nations needs to be primarily based on “mutual respect”, “non-interference in one another’s home affairs”, “heeding safety of transport corridors in addition to non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction”, he stated at a joint press convention along with his Iranian counterpart.

He added that he would later meet Raisi to convey greetings from Saudi’s King Salman and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and go on their invitation to go to Riyadh.

“We hope that the restoration of ties can have constructive impacts on the 2 nations, the area and the entire Islamic world,” he stated, based on a translation revealed in Persian.

Iran’s international minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated on the press convention that Saturday’s talks had centered on “sustainable financial co-operation” and joint ventures, notably by the 2 nations’ personal sectors.

“For the Islamic republic, safety doesn’t equal militarisation . . . nevertheless it contains political, financial and commerce ties between regional nations,” he stated.

Saudi Arabia and Iran — that are respectively dominated by Sunni and Shia Muslims — agreed to revive diplomatic ties in March, in a landmark settlement signed in China. The transfer put an finish to a seven-year rift which had stoked tensions within the Islamic world.

Whereas the 2 states are but to nominate ambassadors, Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh earlier this month; Saudi diplomats are at present primarily based in a lodge in northwestern Tehran. The Saudi embassy was broken after it was stormed by hardline teams in 2016 in protest in opposition to the execution of a dissident Shia cleric. After that incident, Riyadh severed ties with Tehran.

The advance in relations has raised hopes that it may assist finish the Yemen struggle, which was launched by a Saudi-led coalition in 2015 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized a lot of the nation. Saudi Arabia accused Iran of backing the rebels and focusing on it and its coalition associate the UAE with drone and missile strikes.

Iran has additionally lately defused tensions with the UAE, which agreed final 12 months to reappoint its ambassador to Tehran.

“Iran needs to resolve its regional points to extend effectivity of the political system and handle its financial issues,” stated one regime determine with information of the federal government’s considering.

“Mohammed bin Salman — along with his long-term growth plans — wanted the settlement [with Iran] to not have Houthis’ missiles day by day. He’s even considering of paving the best way for Saudi investments in Iran. This additionally advantages us,” the individual stated. “Each Iran and Saudi Arabia twisted one another’s ears [but] now it’s time for co-operation.”