Barely a week after having renewed its diplomatic relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia did the same on Thursday with Syria.
The two sides agreed to reopen their mutual embassies in late April after Eid al-Fitr, the conclusion of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan that began Thursday, according to a source who spoke with Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Iran, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has maintained a strong military presence in the territory of Israel’s northern neighbor.
Having healed its seven-year-long dispute with Riyadh, it may not come as a surprise that Iran would then seek to firm up that relationship by adding its other ally to the mix as both attempt to return to the Arab fold.
Syria was suspended from the Arab League as the bloody civil war got underway there in 2011.
