Iran appoints veteran diplomat as new envoy to Saudi Arabia: Report

Iran has appointed a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in Gulf affairs as its new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

Alireza Enayati, previously Tehran’s ambassador to Kuwait from 2014 to 2019, will be the next envoy to Riyadh, Fars said. Prior to his ambassadorial post, Enayati was the director-general of Gulf affairs at the Iranian foreign ministry. He resumed this role in 2019 and has continued in that capacity since then, according to the agency.

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In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced that they had reached an agreement, brokered by China, to reestablish diplomatic relations after seven years of no formal ties.

Under the deal, the two countries agreed to reopen embassies and consulates in each other’s territories and implement security and economic cooperation agreements that were signed over 20 years ago.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016 following an attack by pro-regime protesters on its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.

Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Saudi Arabia had introduced its new envoy to Tehran, and that Iran would soon reciprocate by introducing its new envoy to Riyadh, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.

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