Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a direct call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, offering condolences and condemned the Israeli assault as a violation of sovereignty and international law that undermines ongoing diplomatic efforts, state news agency SPA reports.

MbS also spoke with US President Donald Trump on Friday, where they agreed on the critical need for restraint and diplomacy to safeguard stability across the Middle East region, SPA reported separately.

ALSO- Calls with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saw the Crown Prince reiterate the importance of engaging in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict, Al Arabiya reports (here and here).

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Friday, reiterating the Kingdom’s condemnation of the “blatant Israeli aggression” and stating that the attack undermined diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, SPA reported.

A busy couple of days: Bin Farhan also spoke with Qatari FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein, Kuwaiti FM Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Palestinian FM Mohammad Mustafa, and US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, emphasizing the Kingdom’s condemnation of Israeli actions and its negative repercussions on regional security and safety, while stressing the urgent need for de-escalation efforts.

ICYMI- Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman had met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian back in April, in the first Saudi-Khamenei high-level encounter in nearly two decades, in a move that was seen by some as an attempt to reassure Tehran that the Kingdom it will not be a conduit towards an attack on Iran.

REMEMBER- The Kingdom’s relations with Iran — historically marred with regional rivalry — shifted towards rapprochement after Iraqi mediation and a China-brokered agreement in March 2023 led to restoration of bilateral ties and diplomatic missions.

What the pundits said: Saudi Arabia’s wide condemnation of Israeli attacks could be seen as an effort to influence Washington to curb Israeli aggression and build regional consensus to deter “unbridled” Israeli aggression, International Institute for Iranian Studies Research Director Ahmed Al Maimouni told Al Arabiya. Riyadh publicly tied the prospect of ties with Israel to the cessation of hostilities in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state, leading to a deadlock with Tel Aviv.

Tags: