Jammu and Kashmir: Dr Farooq Abdullah welcomes restoration of Saudi-Iran ties

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The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President and Member of the Parliament from Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency Dr Farooq Abdullah Saturday welcomed the resumption of Iran-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations, hoping the rapprochement between the two countries will benefit the fostering unity among Muslims.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah said the restoration of ties and reopening of diplomatic missions between the two countries is a welcome step that will have wide-ranging implications across the Muslim world.

"I hope it acts as harbinger of greater cooperation in the Islamic world in particular and the world community in general. This dialing down of tensions and de-escalation will not just benefit the Gulf region, but the world at large," he said.

On Friday the world was taken by a surprise after the two "bitter rivals" Iran and Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of diplomatic relations and trade.

The announcement could not only lead to a major realignment in West Asia, it also poses a major geopolitical threat to the United States, with China acting as peace broker for the historic deal.

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The New York Times reported that under the agreement announced on Friday, Iran and Saudi Arabia will patch up a seven-year split by reviving a security cooperation pact, reopening embassies in each other's countries within two months, and resuming trade, investment and cultural accords.

The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran is rooted in sectarianism. While Iran is the foremost Shia state in the world, Saudi Arabia is considered to be the religious home of Sunni Islam.

According to The New York Times, in Yemen, Saudi bombs aimed at reversing gains by Iranian-backed rebels have killed large numbers of civilians. Those rebels have responded by firing increasingly sophisticated missiles and armed drones at Saudi cities and oil facilities. All sides in the conflict have repeatedly violated human rights and international humanitarian law, a Council on Foreign Relations report said. A December 2020 UN report said that since 2015 the "war caused an estimated 233,000 deaths, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure".