Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein

Iran and Saudi Arabia discussed issues related to the security of the two countries, in addition to reaching a memorandum of understanding during their fifth round of talks in the Iraqi capital, the host country's Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, said on Monday.

The talks were held in light of rising tensions between Tehran and Riyadh in a bid to normalize ties between them, and in a step toward better relations, the two reached an agreement to send about 40,000 pilgrims to the upcoming Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is the holiest site in Islam.

The two sides also touched on the situation in Yemen, namely the continuation of the armistice in the country after Yemen Supreme Political Council leader Mahdi Al-Mashat announced that Sanaa was unilaterally suspending all airstrikes and UAV and military operations against Saudi Arabia for three days, at the time. The ceasefire was later extended and now spans April and May.

Yemen and Saudi Arabia also agreed to hold "the next round of dialogue at the diplomatic level," the Iraqi foreign minister added.

Ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been in freefall for years for various reasons, including Riyadh's execution of Sheikh Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr and the demonstrations his killing sparked. Iranian protestors had broken into the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad, prompting the kingdom to sever diplomatic ties with Tehran.

The Riyadh authorities executed Al-Nimr along with 46 other people on the same day, under the pretext of "fighting terror" just to oppress dissidents and opponents.

Negotiations between the two parties had started in the spring of 2021 in a bid to mend relations between the two countries, which saw them holding four rounds of negotiations in the Iraqi capital, and, despite their positive impacts on their bilateral relations, Tehran suspended the talks due to Riyadh executing en masse 81 nationals and residents under the pretext of involvement in "terrorism".

The Iranian foreign ministry revealed that the positive effects of the talks did not bring to the table the issue of resuming bilateral embassy operations, as the two parties are yet to discuss the prospects of that step.