Saudi, Iranian FMs meet in China, signaling warming of ties

BEIJING (AP) — The foreign ministers of long-time Middle Eastern rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have met in Beijing, taking another step toward reconciliation after seven years of tensions. Thursday’s meeting came a month after the two countries agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies by May. The rapprochement lowers the chance of armed conflict between the rivals, both directly and in proxy conflicts around the Middle East. The two sides were brought together by China in a deal brokered in early March. It  represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East.