Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are both in the Middle East, have agreed to start talking to each other again, seven years after breaking off diplomatic ties in a fight.
The announcement came as a surprise after four days of talks in China between people from both sides.
In January 2016, Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after protesters broke into its embassy in Tehran after Riyadh killed a well-known Shia Muslim cleric.
Since then, Sunni and Shia-led neighbours have often had a lot of trouble with each other.
They both see the other as a dangerous power that wants to take over the region. They also back opposing sides all over the Middle East, like in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, and most obviously in Yemen.
Iran helped the Shia Houthi rebels get rid of the government that was backed by Saudi Arabia in 2014. Since the next year, Saudi Arabia has been leading a devastating air campaign against the Houthis.
Iran has also been blamed by Saudi Arabia for helping the Houthis attack it.
Drones and missiles hit major Saudi oil facilities in 2019, causing damage and stopping production. This was the worst attack of its kind ever. The attack was blamed on Iran by Saudi Arabia and the US, which Iran denied.
Before, attempts to get along have failed, but on Friday, the two countries said they would reopen their embassies within two months. They will also get back to work on trade and security.
The US was cautiously happy about the news. John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said that the government supported “any effort to ease tensions in the region.” But he also said, “It remains to be seen if Iran will meet their obligations.”Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, thanked China for making the deal happen.
His spokesman said that the secretary-general is ready to help “make sure that peace and security last in the Gulf region.”
Israel hasn’t said anything about Iran’s nuclear programme, even though it has asked for the most pressure possible to be put on Iran.