Iran reopens Jeddah consulate in Saudi normalisation push

Iran has reopened its consulate in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, as the normalisation of ties between the two former regional rivals continues, Iranian state media announced on Wednesday.

The opening ceremony was attended by Iranian and Saudi officials, and coincides with the reopening of the Iranian office at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.

"The diplomatic mission was reopened in a ceremony attended by a number of Iranian and Saudi officials," Iranian news agency IRNA said on Wednesday.

The Iranian embassy in Riyadh was formally reopened on Tuesday following months of talks between Saudi and Iranian diplomats - mediated by China - on repairing diplomatic ties broken off in January 2016 after the kingdom's missions in Iran were besieged by angry protesters.

The attacks were sparked by the execution in Saudi Arabia of Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr.

Following the incidents, Saudi Arabia announced it would cut ties with Tehran and relations remained frozen for over seven years.

In May, Iran announced that it would appoint Alireza Enayati as its new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in a sign of progress in the reconciliation talks.

Saudi Arabia recently repaired ties with neighbour Qatar - which it blockaded in 2017 - and with the Syrian regime this year, despite outcry over Bashar Al-Assad's horrific rights' record.

Iran has also sought to improve relations with Riyadh allies Bahrain and Egypt, while there has been a détente in the Yemen civil war where Tehran and Riyadh are supporting rival sides.

Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a massive economic reform programme, known as Vision 2030, intended to diversity its economy and boost trade in the region.

Analysts have suggested that stability in the region and good relations with its neighbours will be key to its success.