Saudi Arabia has decided to reopen its embassy in Damascus as it seeks a rapprochement with Syria, Jordanian newspaper Rai el Youm reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, a Saudi delegation arrived in Damascus on Monday in a diplomatic visit.
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Members of opposition to Syrian President Bahar al-Assad in the city of Idlib to which Saudi Arabia has provided support
(Photo: AFP)
Riyadh's messengers reportedly liaised with several senior Syria officials, including President Bashar al-Assad and his senior advisor and close confidante Ali Mamlouk.
Riyadh is said to be looking to restore its ties with Syria, an ally and client state for Iran — Saudi Arabia's regional arch-nemesis.
The two countries severed ties in 2012 as Syria's civil war escalated and Assad turned to help for Iran, while Riyadh supported the anti-regime forces.
Saudi and Iranian officials held direct Iraqi-mediated talks this month in a bid to ease tensions between the two foes, a senior Iranian official and two regional sources said, as Washington works to revive a 2015 nuclear pact with Tehran and end the Yemen war.
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Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
(Photo: Reuters)
The regional source said the meeting focused on Yemen, where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group since March 2015.
The talks were the first significant contact between the two countries, which cut their ties in 2016 after Riyadh executed 47 people, including a prominent Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Later on, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview that Saudi Arabia would want better ties with Iran, but had issues with its nuclear ambitions, missile program and support of regional armed groups.