Saudi Arabia Defense Minister travels to Iran during nuclear talks
Saudi Arabia Defense Minister travels to Iran during nuclear talks
The Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid Bin Salman Al Saud, arrived in Tehran on Thursday. This is a rare event that a high -ranking Saudi Royal visits the Islamic Republic. Prince Khalid will meet with Major Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian forces. According to the Iranian news portal Isna The two defense officers discuss the development of defense relationships and regional cooperation to strengthen peace and stability as well as the fight against terrorism.
historical meaning of the visit
It was decades ago that a high -ranking Saudi Royal Iran visited: King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz did this in 1997 when the reform -oriented President Mohammad Khatami was in office. Prince Khalid is the son of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.nuclear negotiations and regional tensions
The meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran takes place at a time when Tehran negotiates with the United States through a new nuclear agreement. The pressure from the USA and Israel to attack the Iranian nuclear facilities in the event of a failure of the talks increases the tensions. Iran warned that every attack on its territory could trigger a larger regional conflict. The United States has a military presence in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic Gulf States that are bordering on Iran.
Current developments in bilateral relationships
According to the state Saudi news agency Spa , the two top officials will hold numerous meetings to discuss the bilateral relationships and common interests. Saudi Arabia broke the diplomatic relationships with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran after a Shiite clergyman was executed in Saudi Arabia. This led to years of repressive conflict that got involved in numerous neighboring countries, especially Yemen.
The situation in Yemen
In Yemen, the two countries supported opposing pages in the civil war, which led to Iran supported Huthi rebels to fired rockets on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in order to meet an essential oil infrastructure for their economy.
Turning of relationships by dialogue
Two years ago, relaxation of the relationships seemed possible, and both states finally signed a pioneering normalization agreement that was conveyed by China. However, Saudi Arabia and other golf states are cautious to be drawn into the conflict between Iran and Israel and the USA.
fears in the region
Last year, the Gulf States expressed concerns about the United States regarding a possible Israeli attack on Iranian oil systems, which could have significant economic and ecological consequences for the entire region. Iran publicly warned that all parties that are seen as support for Israel are treated as aggressors. Sources reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had told the United States and Iran, that they would not allow Israel to use their airspace for attacks on Iran.military cooperation in the trend
In October, Saudi Arabia and Iran carried out their first joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman, as Iranian media reported. In November, the Saudi armed forces, Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, visited Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart. These developments could be a step towards long -term peace and more stable relationships between the two countries.
reports of CNN, with contributions by alireza Hajihosseini and Matog Saleh.