CAIRO, March 13. /TASS/. The dialogue on the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will have a positive influence on Tehran’s relations with Amman, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday.
"Naturally, the positive atmosphere after the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh may have a positive effect on Tehran’s relations with other countries, including Jordan," he said in a statement posted on the Iranian foreign ministry’s Telegram channel. "Political ties between Iran and Jordan have not been abandoned in recent years."
Apart from that, the Iranian diplomat expressed the hope that Iran may resume diplomatic relations with Bahrain. "Luckily, bearing in mind the favorable atmosphere in the region, other countries of the region, including Bahrain, may see positive development," he noted, adding that Tehran "wants to expand cooperation with neighboring countries" and "Iranian-Bahraini relations are no exception."
Relations between Riyadh and Tehran became strained in March 2015 after a Saudi-led coalition launched a military operation in Yemen against the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement. Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and a consulate in Mashhad were attacked by crowds protesting against the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh, a prominent Shia cleric. Later in that month, Bahrain followed Saudi Arabia’s lead and severed diplomatic relations with Iran.
It was reported on March 10 that Iran and Saudi Arabia had agreed to normalize bilateral relations and planned to open embassies within two months.
According to the Al Arabiya television channel, Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Mahbashi, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said on Monday that the Yemeni problem can be settled only through talks between Sanaa and Riyadh rather than between Tehran and Riyadh.