Iran Expresses Readiness to Deepen Military Ties with Saudi Arabia During High-Level Visit

Tehran — Iran has reiterated its willingness to expand military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, as Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman arrived in Tehran on Thursday for discussions focused on regional security.

During the meeting, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri emphasized the positive trajectory of bilateral ties, stating that strengthened relations between the two nations and their military establishments would “bring despair and hopelessness to our enemies and joy to our friends.”

Bagheri also expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s role as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise, IMEX 2024. The joint naval drill was held in the Indian Ocean with participation from Iran, Russia, and Oman, alongside observer delegations from several countries including Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Qatar, and Bangladesh.

Highlighting progress since the normalization of diplomatic ties, Bagheri noted that military relations between Tehran and Riyadh have steadily developed following the Beijing Agreement signed in March 2023, which marked the restoration of diplomatic relations after years of tensions.

The visit by Prince Khalid signals a continued thaw in relations and growing defense dialogue between the two regional powers, as both sides seek to strengthen stability and cooperation across the Middle East.