Iran and the US are set to hold a second round of talks in Rome about Tehran’s nuclear programme
Tehran
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman has met several Iranian officials before a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The visit comes amid growing fears of a potential conflict in the region if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve soaring tensions between the United States and Iran, with President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to bomb Iran if it does not reach an agreement with the US over its nuclear-related activities.
Prince Khalid said he conveyed a message from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during Thursday’s meeting in Tehran.
“We discussed our bilateral relations and topics of mutual interest,” he wrote on X.
“Our belief is that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia is beneficial for both countries,” Iranian state media cited Khamenei as saying in the meeting on Thursday.
Prince Khalid also met President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri.
“Ties between the Saudi and Iranian armed forces have been improving since the Beijing agreement,” Bagheri said after the meeting, according to Iranian state media.
Saudi Arabia has welcomed Iran’s nuclear talks with the US, saying it supported efforts to resolve regional and international disputes.
Hamidreza Gholamzadeh, a political analyst, said the purpose of the Saudi defence minister’s was likely to express concern about a potential attack on Iran.
“Saudis want to share their concern and reassure Iran that they would not like … attacks against Iran and they want better relations with Iran,” he told Al Jazeera.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in a 2023 deal brokered by China to re-establish relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf region and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.
