Khamenei: The Islamic Republic is Ready to Share Its Advances with Saudi Arabia

On Thursday, April 28, Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Minister of Defense, met with the leader of the Islamic Republic, who reportedly received a message from the King of Saudi Arabia. Khamenei stated that the Islamic Republic has made significant advancements in various fields and is now ready to assist Saudi Arabia in these areas. He did not provide details about the advancements he referred to. This comes at a time when Iran has been facing severe U.S. and international sanctions for years, grappling with widespread economic problems, energy shortages, environmental crises, and global isolation. In another part of his remarks, the leader of the Islamic Republic noted that the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia would be 'beneficial' for both countries and has its adversaries. Khalid bin Salman had previously met with Mohammad Baqeri, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. He also discussed matters with Masoud Pezeshkian, the Islamic President. Can Saudi Arabia mediate between Tehran and Washington? The Saudi Minister of Defense is the highest-ranking official from the country to visit Iran in the past two years. This visit occurs as the United States and Iran have begun discussions to reach a potential nuclear agreement. On the other hand, Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has been involved in a civil war for a decade, has been targeted by severe U.S. airstrikes. While Iran supports Yemen's Shia Houthis, Saudi Arabia provides financial and military assistance to the group's opponents. Tehran and Riyadh had no diplomatic relations for seven years following the organized attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad in January 2016. However, following China's mediation in March 2023, the two countries signed an agreement to restore relations. Since then, the Saudi Foreign Minister visited Tehran once in June 2023, and Ibrahim Raisi, the former President of Iran, traveled to Riyadh in November of the same year to attend an Islamic Cooperation Organization meeting. Additionally, last June, the Saudi King's special assistant attended a memorial ceremony for Ibrahim Raisi in Tehran. The Chief of Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces also visited Iran last November.