Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the Iranian foreign minister in Riyadh on Wednesday as the region braced for a potential Israeli attack on Iran.
The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, had earlier met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss “bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields” and regional developments, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on X that Araghchi’s visit would focus on stopping “the Israeli regime’s genocide & aggression” and aimed to “alleviate the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Lebanon.”
Araghchi’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes as the region awaits Israel’s response to an Iranian missile attack on its territory last week.
Baghaei said the meetings in Riyadh were “in furtherance of our diplomatic efforts, in coordination with countries of the region.”
In Beirut on Friday, Araghchi said Tehran supports efforts for a “simultaneous” ceasefire in Lebanon and the Palestinian territory.
The Islamic Republic called Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel “a turning point in the history of the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against Israel.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations in March 2023 under a surprise China-brokered deal following a seven-year rupture.
Last month, MBS explicitly stated that the Kingdom would not normalize relations with Israel without an “independent Palestinian state.”
Israel has been waging a year-long war against Hamas in Gaza that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
