Iran FM visits Saudi Arabia as kingdom makes push for regional diplomacy

On his way back from the BRICS summit in Brazil, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stopped in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. The meetings follow high-level Saudi visits to both the United States and Russia aimed at powering diplomatic engagement on the Iranian nuclear file and the Gaza war.  

What happened: Araghchi stopped in Mecca on Tuesday on his way back to Iran from the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that in addition to meeting Crown Prince Mohammed and Prince Faisal, Araghchi also held talks with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

The Saudi government said Crown Prince Mohammed expressed hope in the meeting that the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran will “enhance security and stability in the region.” In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said that Araghchi “expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom for its position in condemning the Israeli aggression.”

Iran’s semiofficial Mehr News Agency said Iranian and Saudi top diplomats discussed “bilateral ties, recent developments in the region and issues of mutual interest.” According to Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, the two also discussed “efforts addressed to achieve security and stability.” 

Araghchi's visit to Saudi Arabia — his second visit to the kingdom since May — comes as Riyadh is attempting to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and a return to diplomacy on the Iran nuclear file. 

Background: The meeting in Mecca followed a series of diplomatic moves by Saudi Arabia aimed at reducing tensions in the region.  

Last Thursday, Prince Khalid held closed-door talks with President Donald Trump and other officials in Washington, according to a Fox News report.  

Citing sources close to the talks, Fox reported that the secret visit focused on discussions of de-escalating tensions with Iran and ending the war in Gaza.  

Contacted by Al-Monitor, the White House and the Saudi Embassy in Washington were not immediately available for comment. 

The visit came amid heightened tensions following Israeli and US strikes on Iran in mid-June and Iran’s subsequent attacks on Israel and the US' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. 

On Thursday, Prince Faisal traveled to Moscow where met on Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, their talks prioritized “the recent dramatic escalation in relations between Iran and Israel.” Russia maintains close political and military ties with Iran and during the conflict had eyed a mediatory role between Israel and Iran.  

Together, the visits suggest that Saudi Arabia is actively engaging with international actors to manage rising tensions and ensure the region does not slide into broader confrontation. Karen Young, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, where she leads the Economics and Energy Initiative, said that the latest diplomacy by Saudi Arabia is "strategic, to keep lines of communication open and to try and anticipate how Iran will behave and react to US and Israeli continued pressure." 

Young said that Saudi Arabia is, above all, "protecting themselves, not necessarily opening or softening any position toward Iran."

Know more: During the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, Saudi Arabia issued public statements condemning both Israeli attacks on Iran and Iranian attacks targeting the US’ base in Qatar.  

Following Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a sharp condemnation of Israel’s actions, calling them “blatant Israeli aggressions” that undermined Iranian sovereignty and violated international law. 

Just over a week later, after Iran retaliated by striking the Al Udeid Air Base, Riyadh condemned that action as well. In a June 23 statement, it called the Iranian strike “a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness” and voiced support for Qatar.