Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to reestablish ties after 7 years of tensions
Global News
The deal, struck in Beijing this week, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the U.S. slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals — both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.
The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People’s Congress, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.
The two countries released a joint communique on the deal with China, which brokered the agreement as President Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as leader earlier Friday.
Xi, whose administration in recent days has relaunched a campaign to challenge the U.S.-led Western liberal order with warnings of “conflict and confrontation,” was credited in a trilateral statement with facilitating the talks through a “noble initiative” and having personally agreed to sponsor the negotiations that lasted from Monday through Friday.
Videos showed Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, meeting with Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Wang Yi, China’s most senior diplomat.
The statement calls for reestablishing ties and reopening embassies to happen “within a maximum period of two months.” A meeting by their foreign ministers is also planned.
In the video, Wang could be heard offering “wholehearted congratulations” on the two countries’ “wisdom.”
“Both sides have displayed sincerity,” he said. “China fully supports this agreement.”
A judge with the Alberta Court of Kings Bench has ruled PetroChina's attempts to take full ownership the Grand Rapids Pipeline lacks the necessary federal government approval.
'As part of the Danish Commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO and the defence of Greenland must therefore be through NATO,' the government statement said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in a joint statement with Australia and the European Union praised the bravery of peaceful protesters and attacked Iran's use of lethal force.
The head of the U.S. Federal Reserve disclosed a legal indictment from the DOJ, and said it was a "pretext" to gain political influence over the Fed to lower interest rates faster.
The U-Haul truck, with its side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars.
The U.S. has launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State in Syria following an ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and an American interpreter.
As protests in Iran near the two-week mark, Canada condemns the crackdown. Mark Carney calls reports of violence and arrests “profoundly concerning” and urges for peaceful protest.
"I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don't do it the easy way we're going to do it the hard way," he added, appearing to allude to potential military action.
Reza Pahlavi is trying to position himself as a player in his country’s future after living in exile for nearly 50 years, successfully escalating nationwide protests in Iran.
In a social media post, Lula also said both leaders condemned the United States' use of force in Venezuela and called for reform to global governance institutions.
The European Union's top foreign policy envoy said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reply to diplomacy was “more missiles and destruction.”
Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb growing unrest, as video showed buildings and vehicles ablaze in anti-government protests raging through the streets of several cities. In a televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of acting on behalf of...
In blunt remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and France’s President Emmanuel Macron said global democracy was being attacked as never before.