TEHRAN, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's pivotal position in Tehran's policy of neighborliness, pledging to safeguard the "brotherly relations" between the two countries, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
Amid reports of an Iranian cleric's detention in Saudi Arabia during Hajj, Araqchi said he had immediately conferred with Iranian officials in Riyadh and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to ensure pilgrims' travel plans remained unaffected.
"We are quite serious about the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Our policy of neighborliness, which is already in effect, is very important. Saudi Arabia holds a very significant position in this policy," Araqchi told reporters in Tehran.
He stressed that Iran would maintain its "brotherly relations" with Saudi Arabia and would not allow any disruptions to affect bilateral ties.
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016 in response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. The attacks followed Saudi Arabia's execution of a Shiite cleric.
In April 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia formally declared the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect. ■
