Saudi Deputy Governor of the Riyadh region, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, greeted Iran's Vice-President Mohammed Reza Aref upon his arrival in Riyadh on November 11, as reported by AFP.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged Israel to acknowledge Iran's sovereignty and avoid any attacks on Iranian territory, signaling a thaw in relations between the Middle Eastern adversaries. During a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders, Prince Mohammed emphasized that the international community should compel Israel to "respect the sovereignty of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran and not to violate its lands."
Historically, Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran have frequently been at odds in regional conflicts, notably in Syria. In 2015, Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition to support Yemen's internationally recognized government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels who had taken control of the capital, Sanaa, and advanced towards Aden. The following year, diplomatic ties between Riyadh and Tehran were severed after attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, sparked by protests over the execution of Shia cleric Nimr Al Nimr by Saudi authorities.
However, in March 2023, both nations announced a reconciliation agreement mediated by China. Despite ongoing complexities in their relationship, this rapprochement represents a significant diplomatic milestone for Prince Mohammed, who has adopted a more conciliatory stance in regional diplomacy in recent years. Saudi Arabia and Iran have maintained high-level communications as part of efforts to manage the conflict in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel in October of the previous year.
This diplomatic engagement culminated in the first phone call between Prince Mohammed and Iran's then-president, Ebrahim Raisi, just five days after the war began, followed by Raisi's visit to Riyadh a year ago for a joint summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In October, Saudi Arabia disclosed that it had conducted joint military exercises with Iran and other countries in the Sea of Oman. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's top military official, Fayyad Al Ruwaili, traveled to Tehran for discussions with Iranian officials.
Ahead of Monday's summit, which was a follow-up to the gathering in November 2023, Prince Mohammed and Iran's current president, Masoud Pezeshkian, held a phone conversation. Pezeshkian did not attend due to pressing "executive matters," according to an Iranian government statement, and First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref represented Iran in Riyadh. The Gaza war and subsequent clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon have heightened concerns of a broader conflict. This year, Iran twice launched missile attacks on Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes by Israel, most notably on October 26 when it targeted Iranian military facilities.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
