Normalization steps in the Middle East: it will be the first in 7 years

It has been reported that a political delegation from Bahrain will visit Iran, where diplomatic relations have been severed after 7 years.

According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), a delegation from Bahrain will visit Iran in line with diplomatic efforts for the reestablishment of Tehran-Manama diplomatic relations and the mutual visit of delegations between the two countries.

On the other hand, in the news of the Iranian media it was stated that after the agreement between Tehran and Riyadh to restart relations, a delegation from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs traveled to Bahrain and visited the Iranian Embassy in Manama in the previous . days.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED

Following the execution of 47 people, including Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, on “terrorism” charges in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2016, protesters in Iran torched the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the Consulate in Mashhad. After the events, diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken.

Most Arab and Gulf countries supported Riyadh’s decision, with Bahrain announcing in January 2016 that it was breaking off diplomatic relations with Iran.

Bahrain announced that it welcomes the resumption of relations between the two countries, after Saudi Arabia restarted relations with Iran under Chinese mediation on March 10 after a 7-year hiatus.

Mucteba Rızahah, Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Committee of the Iranian parliament, met with the Speaker of the Bahrain Parliament, Ahmad al-Muslim, on March 12. (AA)