Iran announced has restored diplomatic connections, more than seven years after Djibouti, along with other regional countries, suspended ties with Tehran in support of Saudi Arabia.
Iran and Djibouti restore ties after 7 years: The important Horn of Africa nation made its decision months after Iran and Saudi Arabia reestablished diplomatic relations as a result of an agreement mediated by China that was made public in March.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “Today, Iran and Djibouti announced the resumption of diplomatic relations through an official statement.”
The action came after Amir-Abdollahian met with his counterpart from Djibouti, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, in New York City for the UN General Assembly.
In response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic offices amid demonstrations against Riyadh’s death of renowned Shia preacher Nimr al-Nimr, Djibouti severed ties with Tehran in January 2016. Following Riyadh’s decision to sever ties with Iran, other Saudi allies including Bahrain also did likewise.
Iran has taken action to strengthen or repair relations with surrounding Arab nations in the wake of the historic agreement with the Saudi Arabian kingdom.
Located on one of the busiest maritime routes in the world and home to military installations from China, France, and the United States, Djibouti is an important Gulf of Aden port.
The tiny nation is located at the mouth of the Red Sea, just across from Yemen. In March 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened to defend Yemen’s internationally recognised government against Houthi rebels who were moving forward after gaining control of the nation’s capital Sanaa.
The foreign ministry of Iran announced late on Thursday that Iran and Djibouti had also decided to “further develop the friendly relations” and “to strengthen cooperation on a wide range of areas.”