Iran and Saudi Arabia will start formal talks next week to resume direct scheduled flights between Tehran and Riyadh and other cities, an Iranian official told the state-affiliated news agency ILNA on Sunday.
Iran had already presented a list of airline companies which might operate flights © Mena Today
Iran and Saudi Arabia will start formal talks next week to resume direct scheduled flights between Tehran and Riyadh and other cities, an Iranian official told the state-affiliated news agency ILNA on Sunday.
Regular flights would be another step towards restoring ties between the two Middle Eastern rivals. A Chinese-mediated agreement in March restored diplomatic relations after years of tension that threatened the security of the entire region and fuelled conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
"There are no restrictions regarding the launch of direct flights from Tehran to Riyadh, or other cities," Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Mohammadibakhsh said, according to ILNA.
"A bilateral working group will start final negotiations next week to have non-haj flights between the two countries," he said, referring to the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Shi'ite-dominated Iran and Sunni Gulf monarchy Saudi Arabia cut ties in 2016 over Saudi Arabia's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric and the subsequent storming of Riyadh's embassy in Tehran.
There have been no regular direct flights between the two countries for years. Currently, only occasional direct flights take off from Iran carrying haj pilgrims.
Mohammadibakhsh said a resumption of flights would include travel for pilgrims of the year-round Umrah - which can be undertaken at any time year - and also non-religious travel.
Iran had already presented a list of airline companies which might operate flights, he said, but did not specify any.
The Saudi Arabian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Dubai Newsroom, Editing by Louise Heavens
Hezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said, the first significant aid from the group to supporters who bore the brunt of the conflict.
Saudi Arabia has launched an air accident probe following last week's cockpit stabbing on a flydubai jet, as experts examine any fallout for aviation safety alongside a separate UAE-led criminal investigation, three people close to the matter said.
Seven months into this war, the Islamic Republic is in the tightest corner of its forty-seven years. That is not cheerleading; it is arithmetic.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.