Saudi Arabia’s top military official arrived in Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iranian officials, state media reported, in a rare high-level meeting since the countries restored ties last year.
Fayyad al-Ruwaili, Chief of Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, met his Iranian counterpart ‘General Mohammad Bagheri at the General Staff Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces’ in the capital, the official IRNA news agency reported.
“The development of defense diplomacy and the expansion of bilateral cooperation are among the main topics of this meeting,” it added.
Fars news agency said Bagheri noted increased security cooperation between the two countries during the meeting.
“We would like the Saudi Navy to participate in Iranian naval exercises next year, either as a participant or as an observer,” Fars quoted Bagheri as saying.
In March 2023, Shiite Muslim-dominated Iran and Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia resumed ties under a surprise Chinese-brokered deal.
Tehran and Riyadh had severed ties in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked during protests over the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh.
The two countries have long supported hostile parties in conflict zones in the region, especially in Syria and Yemen.
Bagheri had stated in a telephone conversation with the Saudi Defense Minister in November 2023 that Iran is willing to improve military relations with Saudi Arabia, IRNA reported at the time.
In October, Saudi Arabia announced that it had been conducting war games with Iran and other countries in the Sea of Oman.
Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem al-Araji was also expected in Tehran for a meeting with senior officials, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.
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