Saudi Arabia and Iran: Defense Minister meets historical talks
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Defense Minister meets historical talks
The Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid Bin Salman Al Saud, arrived in Tehran on Thursday, which is a rare visit to a high-ranking Saudi Arabian Royals in the Islamic Republic.
Important discussions between the Ministries of Defense
Prince Khalid will meet with Major Mohammad Bagheri, the head of the Iranian armed forces. According to reports from the Iranian news portal ISNA, the development of defense relationships and the regional cooperation to strengthen peace and stability in the region and the fight against terrorism will be topics of discussions.
historical background of relationships
It has passed for decades since a high-ranking Saudi Arabian Royal recently visited Iran: King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz traveled to Tehran in 1997 when the reformist President Mohammad Khatami was in office. Prince Khalid is the son of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
geopolitical tensions and conversations
The meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran takes place, while Tehran is involved in negotiations with the USA about a new nuclear agreement. These discussions are made against the background of threats to the United States and Israel to attack Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations fail. Iran warned that an attack on its territory could trigger a more comprehensive regional war. The United States maintains a military presence in Saudi Arabia and other golf states.
new approaches to normalize relationships
According to the state Saudi news agency, the two officials will "hold a number of meetings to discuss bilateral relationships and common interests". Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic relationships with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in the Iranian capital, following the execution of a Shiite clergyman in Saudi Arabia. In the following years, the two countries waged a deputy war, which many neighboring countries, especially Yemen, included
The Yemen conflict and military tensions
In Yemen, the two countries supported opposing sides in the civil war, which meant that the Houthi rebels supported by Iran fired rockets on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and targeted the oil infrastructure that is decisive for their economy.
The meeting in the region
Relationships began to relax in the past two years, and both states finally signed a pioneering normalization agreement to which China appeared as an intermediary. However, Saudi Arabia and other golf states are careful not to be involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel and the USA.concerns about military actions
Last year, golf states were concerned about the possible attacks of Israel on Iranian oil devices that could have economic and environmental effects on the entire region. Iran publicly warned that all parties that are perceived as supporters of Israel are treated as aggressors.military exercises as a sign of cooperation
In October, Saudi Arabia and Iran carried out their first joint marine exercise in the Gulf of Oman, according to the Iranian media. In November, the Saudi armed forces, Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, visited Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart, reported state media.
The reporting was supported by CNN journalists Alireza Hajihosseini and Matog Saleh.
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