Iran diplomat granted entry to Saudi: state media

TEHRAN: Saudi Arabia has granted a visa to an Iranian diplomat to work in a consular office in Jeddah, state media reported Sunday, in a rare sign of a thaw between the rival powers.

Foreign ministry official Mohammad Alibak has been permitted to serve as head of Iran's Interests Section in the consulate, state news agency IRNA reported. There was no immediate confirmation from Riyadh.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shia power, have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East including the Syrian civil war. The two countries severed diplomatic relations in early 2016 after Riyadh's embassy in Tehran was attacked by militants in response to the execution of a top Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia.



Iran FM says Trump, Bin Salman, Netanyahu are 'isolated'

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the leaders of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel were isolated in their hostility to Iran. "Today, the entire world has declared they are not in line with US policies against Iran," Zarif said in a speech, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. "Talk to anyone, anywhere in the world and they will tell you that  Netanyahu, Trump and bin Salman are isolated, not Iran," he said.

In September, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir denied any warming of relations with regional rival Iran after Tehran thanked Riyadh for its handling of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

“If Iran wants to have good relations with Saudi Arabia, it has to change its policies. It has to respect international law,” Jubeir told a press conference in London. “The hajj is a religious obligation, it has nothing to do with politics,” he added, referring to the pilgrimage which forms one of the five pillars of Islam.