Iran, Saudi to restore ties in major step for Middle East

Iran and Saudi Arabia support rival sides in several conflict zones including Yemen, where the Huthi rebels are backed by Tehran and Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting the government. Sandwiched between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq had hosted several rounds of talks since April 2021. Abraham AccordsThe pledge to resume ties comes two-and-a-half years after the UAE, which also lies between Saudi Arabia and Iran, signed the Abraham Accords opening ties with Israel -- a similarly unexpected move. Other Gulf states had also scaled back their ties with Iran after the 2016 incident. But in September, Iran welcomed an Emirati ambassador back after a six-year absence.