Answering a question about the reopening of the Iranian embassy in Saudi Arabia after a seven-year break in a press conference on Monday, John Kirby said, "Look, we’ll let the — we’ll let the Iranians and the Saudis speak more specifically to this."
Kirby also claimed that the US supports more integration, more dialogue, and more transparency throughout the region, adding that if the reopening of Iran's embassy in Riyadh can help increase the transparency of what they’re doing and if it can de-escalate tensions, then all that’s to the positive.
Meanwhile, commenting on the issue, State Department's Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel claimed that the US has long encouraged direct dialogue and diplomacy, including between Iran and regional governments.
"An exchange of ambassadors would be an unsurprising step in the course of this dialogue. And we continue to hope that dialogue will contribute to the de-escalation of tensions, the contribution of some more regional stability, and will address other longstanding regional concerns," he asserted.
The Embassy of Iran in Riyadh, the country's Consulate General in Jeddah, and the Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will be officially reopened on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On March 10, after several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume their diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions after seven years of estrangement.
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