Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman has arrived in Tehran for meetings with officials in a visit ahead of weekend talks between Iran and the United States over the Iranian nuclear programme.
The defence minister delivered a message from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Thursday, Iran's state media reported without giving further details about the content of the message.
In a post on his X account, Prince Khalid said: "We discussed our bilateral relations and topics of mutual interest."
Khamenei confirmed the meeting on his X account, without providing details about the content of the letter.
Prince Khalid also met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where they reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations and explored ways to enhance them.
"We also addressed regional and international developments and related efforts," he added.
Experts are optimistic about US-Iran talks in Oman and Italy but doubt Tehran will agree to dismantle its entire nuclear programme like Libya despite setbacks in Syria and Lebanon.
Iran-US talks in Rome
Iran and the US are set to hold a second round of talks in Rome this weekend about Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment programme.
"Our belief is that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia is beneficial for both countries," Iranian state media cited Khamenei as saying in the meeting.
Khamenei voiced Tehran's readiness to overcome obstacles in the way of improving ties with Riyadh.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in a 2023 deal brokered by China to re-establish relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia welcomed Iran's nuclear talks with the US, saying it supported efforts to resolve regional and international disputes, in a statement published by the country's official news agency on Saturday.
"Ties between the Saudi and Iranian armed forces have been improving since the Beijing agreement," Iran's armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri said after meeting the Saudi minister in Tehran, according to Iranian state media.
Bagheri emphasised that regional security is a "shared strategic interest" for the countries in the area, adding Tehran's policy is based on strengthening ties with its neighbours.
"Therefore, expanding and solidifying ties between the armed forces of both countries can lay a solid foundation for broader regional cooperation," he said, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader warns that US aggression would leave Iran with no option but to pursue nuclear weapons for defence.
Ties since 2016
Thursday's visit marks the second by a senior Saudi defence official to Tehran since the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In November 2024, Chief of the General Staff of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili visited Tehran for bilateral military talks.
Diplomatic relations between the two regional powers were restored in March 2023 following China-brokered negotiations in Beijing, ending a seven-year freeze that began in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
