TEHRAN – The foreign minister of China, which helped facilitate a reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March, has urged the two West Asian nations to continue developing their ties by steering away from “external interference.”

Wang Yi made the remarks on Friday while hosting Iranian Deputy Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and his Saudi counterpart Waleed al-Khuraiji in Beijing. 

“I believe that Saudi Arabia and Iran are fully capable of removing external interference promptly and pushing the reconciliation process forward to maintain long-term peace and stability in the region,” Wang was quoted by Chinese media as saying.

The top Chinese diplomat also hoped that the two countries could enhance their financial, security, and trade cooperation by avoiding “miscalculation.”

“It is hoped that the two sides will continue to enhance mutual trust through dialogue and consultation, and achieve a lasting and comprehensive good-neighborly friendship,” he added.

Iran and Saudi Arabia severed their diplomatic ties in 2016 after angry protesters attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran following the execution of a prominent cleric and swelled crackdown on the Shia population in the Arab kingdom. 

Since signing a reconciliation deal in March of 2023, the two Muslim nations have swiftly moved towards a full thaw. Riyadh and Tehran exchanged ambassadors in September and have officially invited each other’s leaders to visit. 

Iranian and Saudi deputy ministers’ recent visit to Beijing was to attend the first meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia-Iran joint committee, a dialogue mechanism to support Riyadh and Tehran’s normalization process.

The West Asian diplomats have reportedly discussed a range of issues, including the various aspects of the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Both sides emphasized the need to immediately stop Israeli attacks on the besieged territory and send humanitarian aid to its defenseless residents.