IRIA News

4 minute read

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Saudi Arabia on October 09, 2024, to hold talks on ending the ongoing fighting between the Israeli military and Iran-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.

Araghchi met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the ongoing diplomatic efforts for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon.

According to the Saudi state-owned news agency, the high-profile encounter marks a new chapter in the recently restored relations between the two regional powerhouses, Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have been at odds for years.

The discussions largely focused on regional developments in Gaza and Lebanon, where attacks by the Israeli forces have intensified in recent months. Upon his arrival in Riyadh, Araqchi expressed optimism about the talks, stating, “I hope that these consultations can lead to better conditions for Palestine and Lebanon and establish peace in the region.”

The Middle East remains tense, with the world watching Israel’s response to a recent Iranian missile strike, launched in retaliation for Israeli actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

سمو #ولي_العهد يلتقي في الرياض وزير الخارجية الإيراني.#واس pic.twitter.com/tsPn6OT3EE

— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) October 9, 2024

The conflict in Lebanon, which is intricately linked to the ongoing Gaza conflict, has seen Iran-backed Hezbollah exchanging fire with Israeli forces in the northern part of the country. Hezbollah and Hamas, which have both been involved in confrontations with Israel, are considered key players in Iran’s “axis of resistance.”

Iran’s role in supporting these groups has kept the region on edge, and in recent weeks, Tehran has been vocal in its opposition to Israel’s military actions in both Gaza and Lebanon. In a strong statement to Gulf Arab nations earlier this week, Iran warned it would be “unacceptable” for them to allow their airspace or military bases to be used in any attack against Iran, threatening retaliatory measures if such moves occurred.

Escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Israeli conflict with Hamas in Gaza has been ongoing for over a year, with a major escalation on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale raid on Israel. In response, Israel ramped up military operations in Gaza, while Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, began targeting Israeli positions in northern Israel. Since then, Israel has intensified its attacks on Hezbollah’s leaders and infrastructure, bringing Lebanon into the spotlight alongside the Gaza conflict.

Iran has expressed its full support for Hamas, calling the group’s October 2023 raid on Israel a turning point in the history of the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against Israel. In Beirut last week, Araqchi reaffirmed Tehran’s backing for a simultaneous ceasefire in both Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

Saudi-Iranian Relations

Wednesday’s meeting is particularly significant as it comes in the wake of the March 2023 rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The two nations, which had severed diplomatic ties for seven years, resumed relations under a China-brokered deal. Since then, the two countries have worked to ease tensions and improve cooperation, despite supporting opposite sides in several conflicts, including in Syria and Yemen.

The resumed diplomatic engagement between the two nations has seen ambassadors exchanged, and foreign ministers visiting each other’s capitals. In November 2023, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an Iranian president in two decades, attending a joint Arab-Islamic summit aimed at discussing the Gaza conflict.

The Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, while helping to ease regional tensions, has not resolved all differences. Saudi Arabia, which had been in talks with the United States regarding normalizing relations with Israel, paused those negotiations after the Gaza conflict escalated. Saudi officials have maintained that any normalization with Israel would require a clear pathway to establishing a Palestinian state.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has since toughened his stance, stating explicitly that Saudi Arabia’s support for normalization hinges on the establishment of an “independent Palestinian state.” This toughened tone reflects the kingdom’s broader strategy of balancing its regional alliances, maintaining its security, and pushing for a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.