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Saturday, September 7, 2024 23:23 GMT
Iranian military officials attended the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia this week, a sign that ties remain cordial between the two despite the ripple effects of the Israel-Hamas war across the region. A delegation from Tehran met with Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff, Fayyadh al-Ruwaili, during the event, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported. It’s likely the first trip of its kind since the two traditional foes agreed to restore relations almost a year ago. While no details were provided on the nature of the discussions, the visit is the latest sign of friendship between Iran and Saudi Arabia at a time of high tension in the Middle East. The two sides met in Iran last month and agreed to establish a direct shipping line to facilitate stronger trade, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Iran has also lifted visa requirements for more than two dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE.The deepening of relations at such a critical time may give room for pause among Saudi Arabia’s western allies — including the US. President Joe Biden’s administration has vowed to maintain strikes against Iran’s forces and its proxies in the Middle East in response to persistent attacks on US bases across the region, and is backing Israel in its conflict with Iran-funded Hamas. The US is also leading a campaign against the Yemen-based Houthis — another Iran-supported group — to try and stop attacks around the Red Sea that are causing havoc in the shipping world and to global trade. Blinken VisitThat Iranian military officials were touring a defense show in Riyadh while proxy militant groups are engaging in war on multiple fronts is interesting in itself. The visit also coincides with a trip by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in regards to the war, among other topics.Saudi Arabia has largely tried to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to the Israel-Hamas conflict and Iran’s involvement, but continues to call for a cease-fire.The Ministry of Defense referred questions to Saudi Arabian Military Industries, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Inquiries with Iran’s Foreign Ministry also went unanswered. - BNN Bloomberg