Prior to a second round of discussions between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Prince Khalid bin Salman, the head of Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, met with a number of Iranian officials.
Prince Khalid claimed that during the meeting on Thursday in Tehran, Prince Khalid said he received a message from King Salman of Saudi Arabia to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He wrote on X that we discussed our bilateral relations and common interest issues.
According to Khamenei, who was cited by Iranian state media as saying in the meeting on Thursday, “we believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia are beneficial for both countries.”
Prince Khalid also had a meeting with Mohammad Bagheri, the head of Iran’s armed forces, and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to Iranian state media, Bagheri reported after the meeting that “ties between the Saudi and Iranian armed forces have been strengthening since the Beijing agreement.”
Saudi Arabia has praised Iran’s efforts to resolve regional and international disputes, calling them “provoked” by the US.
After years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf region and contributed to Middle Eastern conflicts from Yemen to Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia came to an agreement in a 2023 deal that China brokered to rekindle relations.
The “crucial stage”
The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi made the trip of the Saudi defence minister, who warned that a deal was in order between the US and Iran.
A second round of Omani-mediated negotiations are scheduled for Saturday in Rome for Iranian and US delegations, one week after the long-ago foes held their highest levels of discussions since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement during his first term in 2018.
Trump has resumed his “maximum pressure” policy, which imposes harsh economic sanctions on Iran and threatened to launch military action if Tehran rejects a deal, since returning to the White House in January.
“These significant negotiations are currently at a crucial stage. We are aware that we have limited time, so I’m here to help with this process,” Grossi said on Thursday.
At a joint press conference with Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency, he stated that the negotiations were “not an easy process.”
Grossi urged people to “concentrate on our objective” when questioned about US President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran.
All of these things will disappear once we reach our objective, he said, leaving no cause for concern.
Trump urged talks and warned of possible military action if Iran refused, in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s supreme leader in March.
Khamenei has reaffirmed that despite the successful launch of the talks with the US, they may not be fruitful.
He said on Tuesday, “The negotiations may or may not yield results.”
Tehran has consistently refuted accusations that the West has long sought to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran has broken all restrictions on its nuclear program and has withdrawn from enrichment until 60 percent purity, or close to 90 percent of the nuclear deal’s recommended level.
Some of the most experienced inspectors at the Vienna-based organization have been barred from Iran while surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disabled.
Source: Aljazeera
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