The chief of staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, is set to visit Tehran for discussions with his Iranian counterpart regarding defense cooperation, as reported by the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff through state media.
This visit comes on the heels of Donald Trump’s election victory, as he prepares to begin his second term as US President in January, during which he has vowed to promote peace in the Middle East.
During his initial term, Mr. Trump facilitated normalization agreements between Arab nations and Israel, Iran’s primary regional adversary, an initiative known as the Abraham Accords.
While Saudi Arabia has yet to formalize relations with Israel, sources familiar with the talks informed Reuters that Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has engaged in discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding potential ties over the past few years.
Additionally, state media reported that Bagheri had a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud last year to review regional developments and enhance defense collaboration between the two nations.
In March 2023, Tehran and Riyadh reached an agreement, with China’s mediation, to restore diplomatic relations following seven years of tension that jeopardized stability and security in the Gulf and fueled conflicts across the Middle East, from Yemen to Syria.
