Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud made a rare visit to Tehran, marking the first time a senior member of the Saudi royal family has visited Iran since King Abdullah in 1997. His visit included discussions with Major General Mohammad Bagheri, focusing on enhancing defense relations, regional cooperation, and counter-terrorism efforts. The two countries, which severed ties in 2016 following a diplomatic incident, have seen relations thaw recently, partly due to a groundbreaking agreement mediated by China. The context includes ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security concerns, as both nations face threats from the U.S. and Israel. There have been increased cooperative actions between the two countries, including joint naval operations and high-level military meetings. Both Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations are cautious about potential conflicts involving Israel, having expressed a unified stance against allowing Israeli use of their airspace for attacks on Iran.
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