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.
In a defiant speech on Friday evening, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, insisted that the group “will not allow anyone to disarm it,” rejecting growing internal calls for the Lebanese state to reclaim exclusive control over the country’s weapons.
Iran told the United States in talks last week it was ready to accept some limits on its uranium enrichment but needed watertight guarantees President Donald Trump would not again ditch a nuclear pact, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.
Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday on the eve of a second round of talks with the Trump administration.
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