Two days after Beijing brokered an agreement between Riyadh and Tehran to resume relations, Tehran pledged “to use regional energies to achieve and consolidate comprehensive peace and stability.”

Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for military affairs, described the Iranian-Saudi agreement as “a political earthquake.”

Safavi voiced hope that the region will progress toward long-term security and peace because of the Iran-Saudi agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the agreement resulted from an “initiative” from Tehran and an exchange of ideas between the Chinese and Iranian sides.

“For months now, there have been thoughts about resolving problems with some countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia,” Amir-Abdollahian told an Iranian news channel.

The top Iranian diplomat also revealed that he had held initial talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the sidelines of the “Baghdad 2” conference in Jordan in January.

Amir-Abdollahian said he received “assurances” from Saudi Arabia about the Kingdom’s preparedness to restore ties to their natural course.

Moreover, Chinese President Xi Jinping had offered Saudi Arabia the Iranian initiative, added the minister.

Amir-Abdollahian’s comments came at a time when the Iranian diplomatic apparatus issued a statement defending the regional approach of President Ibrahim Raisi’s government.

The statement said the Iranian government “has taken an important step in the context of the practical application of the doctrine of balanced foreign policy, dynamic diplomacy, and intelligent interaction.”

“The Beijing agreement was reached to put relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia on their natural path,” the statement added.

According to the official IRNA news agency, the statement added that Tehran is on the path of “using regional energies, and is seriously determined to achieve and consolidate comprehensive peace and stability, and secure the common and collective interests of the governments and peoples of the region.”