Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, arrived in Tehran on Thursday for high-level meetings with Iranian officials, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Chief of Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, welcomes Saudi Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2025. Iranian Armed Forces Office/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters
Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, arrived in Tehran on Thursday for high-level meetings with Iranian officials, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The visit comes just days before scheduled discussions between Iran and the United States aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
The surprise trip by Prince Khalid underscores the ongoing thaw in relations between the regional rivals, following the Chinese-brokered agreement in 2023 that led to the resumption of diplomatic ties after years of hostility.
Although specific details about the minister’s agenda in Tehran remain undisclosed, analysts say the timing suggests Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a key regional player ahead of any potential agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Talks between the U.S. and Iran, expected over the weekend in a neutral location, are seen as a last-ditch effort to prevent further escalation over Iran’s expanding nuclear enrichment activities, which Western powers argue could lead to weaponization—an accusation Iran denies.
Riyadh, long critical of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, has recently adopted a more pragmatic approach, seeking regional de-escalation and focusing on economic transformation under its Vision 2030 strategy.
Prince Khalid’s visit marks a new chapter in the recalibration of Gulf diplomacy, as both Saudi Arabia and Iran explore avenues for coexistence amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.
Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely, three sources familiar with the deliberations say.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Thursday against a network that smuggles Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil, and on a Hezbollah-controlled financial institution, the Treasury Department said.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday that U.S. strikes 10 days ago had degraded Iran's nuclear program by up to two years, suggesting the U.S. military operation likely achieved its goals despite a far more cautious initial assessment that leaked to the public.
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