After Iran deal, EU's Mogherini to visit Tehran, Saudi Arabia

BRUSSELS - Reuters

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The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will travel to Tehran on July 28 following the West's historic nuclear deal with Iran, also going to Saudi Arabia in her first official visit to the two regional powers.

Mogherini's first stop will be Saudi Arabia on Monday, where she will meet officials including the country's new foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, with whom she is expected to discuss regional issues following the July 14 nuclear accord with Iran. 

Mogherini will then go on to Iran, where she will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and other senior officials. 

The European Union formally approved this week the deal it struck with Iran and other world powers, a step towards lifting its economic sanctions against Tehran, which the bloc hopes will send a signal for the U.S. Congress to follow. 

Mogherini follows on from German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel's visit to Iran at the start of this week, the first senior figure from a large Western government to visit the country since the deal. 

France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and other European foreign ministers are due to travel there soon.