The recent wave of diplomatic talks and meetings between long-time rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran suggests a shift in Riyadh’s approach to regional politics. This comes amid rising regional tensions and efforts by the new US president to bring an end to the ongoing conflicts involving Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia’s top military leader, Chief of Staff General Fayyad al-Ruwaili, held talks with Iran’s Major-General Mohammed Bagheri in Tehran on Sunday (November 10).
During their meeting, they focussed on ways to strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries. Although this may suggest closer ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two experts believe the situation is more complex than it appears. During their meeting, Ruwaili and Bagheri talked about ways to strengthen military and defence cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Iran to support security and stability in the region.
This was stated by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence on Sunday, with Iran’s state-run news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) confirming the details. Only a few hours after the Ruwaili-Bagheri meeting, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed-bin-Salman spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone. They discussed the relationship between Tehran and Riyadh, as well as a summit held in Riyadh on Monday, attended by the crown prince, Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammed Reza Aref and other regional leaders.
As reported by IRNA, Crown Prince Mohammed stated during .
