Yves here. Anyone cozying up to Iran is an admission against interest for a US messaging outlet like RFE/RL and so should be taken seriously. The uptick in visible moves to improve Saudi-Iran ties looks to be yet another Trump-proofing move.
UPDATE 7:25 AM EST: A just-released story at the Financial Times provides additional confirmation. From Gulf states wary of return to Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ against Iran:
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have signalled they remain committed to de-escalation with Iran as they prepare for the return of Donald Trump, hoping he can end a year of war in the Middle East but wary his unpredictability could inflame tensions further….
….the Gulf’s two powerhouses — Saudi Arabia and the UAE — have changed tack, seeking to engage with Tehran amid doubts about the US’s commitment to their security. This became more urgent after Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack against Israel triggered a wave of regional hostilities and heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi seeking to remain on the sidelines….
In a sign of Riyadh’s desire to maintain its cold peace with Iran, Prince Mohammed on Monday hosted senior Iranian officials at an Arab-Muslim conference in Jeddah in which he accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. He also condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, calling on the international community to stop hostile actions on Iranian territory.
Separately, Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s presidential adviser, told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday that the incoming Trump administration must pursue a “comprehensive” approach instead of “reactive and piecemeal” policies.
The comments underlined the shift in Saudi and Emirati thinking since they actively courted Trump after he took office in 2017 following years of Arab frustration with US policy swings and a sense of disengagement from the region.
By RFE/RL. Cross posted from OilPrice
- The Chief of Staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces made a rare visit to Iran, signaling a strengthening of ties between the two countries.
- The visit comes amidst a backdrop of shifting political dynamics in the Middle East, including the recent election of Donald Trump.
- The warming relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran could have significant implications for regional security and stability.
The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran during a rare visit on November 10.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency said they discussed the development of defense diplomacy and bilateral cooperation without offering any details.
Iranian media said Baqeri had discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud last year.
Ruwaili is only the second high-profile Saudi official to travel to Tehran since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following Chinese-brokered talks in March 2023. Previously, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran in June 2023.
Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia severed ties with Shi’a-dominated Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic compounds in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by protesters over Riyadh’s execution of Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
The trip comes days after the election of Donald Trump, whose second term as U.S. president begins in January. He has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the timing of the trip was significant because it comes as various countries are preparing for a second Trump presidency.
He said the Saudis’ decision to send their top military official to Tehran “is a signal that they are committed” to the detente process that started last year and that “they don’t want Trump’s election to jeopardize the recently improving relations with Iran.”
Separately, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on the phone and discussed expanding bilateral relations, according to Pezeshkian’s office.
Trump had good relations with Persian Gulf Arab states in his first tenure in office and worked on normalizing relations between Arab states and Iran’s archfoe, Israel.
Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations with Israel but Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have discussed the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia since 2021.
In another sign of warming relations, Saudi Arabia announced last month that it held military drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman.
