Tehran/Riyadh, 17 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Riyadh on Thursday on what is his first trip to Saudi Arabia since a rapprochement between the two countries in March, according to Iranian state media.

Iran's top diplomat travelled to the Saudi capital at the invitation of his Saudi counterpart, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran said.

According to Saudi's Al Arabiya channel, Amir-Abdollahian will meet with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at the Foreign Ministry.

The meeting will be followed by a press conference, the broadcaster said.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have a long history as bitter regional rivals, but in March the neighbours announced their intention to resume diplomatic relations as part of a rapprochement quietly brokered by China.

Bin Farhan visited Iran in June. It was the first visit by a high-ranking representative from the Sunni kingdom to Shiite-majority Iran in years.

Several rounds of talks among representatives from both countries have also taken place in Iraq, mainly on security issues.

A warming of ties could lead to major regional shifts, notably in Yemen, where Iran and Saudi Arabia support rival sides in the civil war that has led to famine and left tens of thousands dead.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran following an attack by Iranian Islamists on the Saudi embassy in Tehran in 2016.

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