For the first time in ten years, a Saudi airline has restarted flights for Iranian Hajj pilgrims, showing signs of improved relations between the two countries. According to an official from the Saudi civil aviation authority who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, “Flynas resumed Iranian pilgrims flights from Imam Khomeini (airport) in Tehran on Saturday.”
The official added that flights from Mashhad in Iran will also begin soon, helping over 35,000 Iranian pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Flynas is a low-cost Saudi airline that runs both domestic and international routes.
Reason Behind Broken Ties
Iran and Saudi Arabia had broken ties in 2016 after the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad were attacked during protests. The protests followed Saudi Arabia’s execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric. Relations resumed in March 2023 with the help of a China-brokered deal after seven years of no diplomatic contact.
Since the restoration of ties, the two countries have been in more regular contact. They have exchanged ambassadors and foreign ministers’ visits. Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi visited Saudi Arabia in November 2023 for a joint Arab-Islamic summit on the Gaza war—the first such visit by an Iranian president in 20 years.
In December 2023, Iran Air also restarted flights between Mashhad and Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. Last month, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman made a rare visit to Iran, where he met with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.