Iran, Saudi top military officials discuss defense diplomacy
Top Iranian and Saudi Arabian military officials discussed ways to improve defense diplomacy between the two countries, in a rare high-level meeting since the countries restored ties last year.
Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed al-Ruwaili arrived in Tehran on Sunday at the head of a high-ranking military delegation to hold talks with top Iranian military officials.
In their meeting, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Al-Ruwaili also exchanged views about the improvement of bilateral defense cooperation.
Back in November 2023, Baqeri in a phone conversation with Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said Iran’s Armed Forces are fully prepared to promote military ties with Saudi Arabia.
Baqeri and Salman also discussed key issues of the Muslim world and invited each other to visit their respective countries.
In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to restore diplomatic relations severed in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
As part of a joint statement issued by the two sides, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost ties in various sectors.