On 11 March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations through a deal brokered by China following almost seven years of hostility between the two nations. While the details of the deal remain largely undisclosed, the two nations have announced plans to reestablish diplomatic relations and open embassies over the next two months. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran were significantly heightened in January 2016 after protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran following the execution of an Iraqi Shiite cleric in the Saudi capital Riyadh.