Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman handed a "written message" from King Salman to Iran's supreme leader on a rare visit to Tehran on Thursday, Saudi state media reported.
The Saudi Press Agency said Prince Khalid's trip to Iran included “a number of meetings to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of common interest”. Iran’s joint chief of staff, Gen Mohammad Bagheri, greeted the prince on his arrival and an honour guard played for the two men.
Later, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on X that he received a message from King Salman delivered by Prince Khalid during the meeting. "We believe that relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia are beneficial for both countries and that the two countries can add to each other," Mr Khamenei said, according to official media.
He added that "there are some who show enmity to the expansion of relations" between Iran and Saudi Arabia and that "we must overcome their hostile motives, and we are prepared in this regard". He said it was much better for countries in the region to co-operate.
Prince Khalid, a fighter pilot, is the first Saudi defence minister to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He also the highest-ranking Saudi royal to visit in decades. The last was King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who did so as crown prince in 1997 for an Organisation of Islamic Co-operation meeting held in Tehran.
The latest visit is significant, particularly given the decades of enmity between the countries. Relations have thawed since a 2023 agreement mediated by China, amid efforts to secure peace in Yemen, where Houthi rebels have threatened both Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite US air strikes.
