MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Iranian president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, as reported by Saudi state media.
During the call, both leaders praised the development of relations between their countries across various levels and stressed the importance of continuing to enhance cooperation in diverse fields, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Following Pezeshkian’s election in early July, King Salman bin Abdulaziz also sent a congratulatory message, expressing hope for the “continued development of relations which link our two countries and our two brotherly peoples,” SPA noted at the time.
After a seven-year hiatus, Sunni Muslim-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran resumed diplomatic relations under a surprise deal brokered by China in March last year.
Since the deal, signs of rapprochement have increased between the two regional powers, despite their historical support for opposing factions in conflicts such as those in Syria and Yemen.
The two countries have exchanged ambassadors and visits of foreign ministers. Moreover, the late Ebrahim Raisi, who was the Iranian president at the time, visited the kingdom in 20 years to attend a joint Arab-Islamic summit discussing the conflict in Gaza last November.
Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon with prior experience as health minister about two decades ago, stepped into the presidency following the death of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. The unexpected election was necessitated by Raisi’s death, originally not due until 2025.
Considered a reformist, Pezeshkian was the only candidate from that camp allowed to stand in the election, with all candidates approved by Iran’s Guardian Council. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues to have the final say on all major policy issues in the country.
