Saudi, Iran Hold Talks After Iran-Israel Ceasefire Deal

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held high-level talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, just two weeks after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel came into effect.

The discussions, held in Riyadh, come amid cautious optimism that the truce could help ease tensions in the region. Crown Prince Mohammed reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for resolving disputes through diplomatic means and expressed hope that the ceasefire would contribute to broader regional stability.

During the meeting, Araghchi thanked Saudi Arabia for condemning last month’s Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which Tehran claims killed over 1,000 people, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Israel launched the strikes on June 13, targeting both military and nuclear facilities as well as residential areas. In retaliation, Iran fired waves of missiles and drones into Israeli territory, killing at least 28 people, according to Israeli sources.

The United States, engaged in separate talks with Iran over its nuclear programme since April, also conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22. Those negotiations have since stalled, though a direct ceasefire between Iran and Israel has held since June 24.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, long-time rivals with opposing stances in several regional conflicts such as those in Syria and Yemen, had severed diplomatic ties in 2016. Relations were restored in 2023 following a China-brokered rapprochement agreement.

Saudi officials described the recent Israeli strikes on Iran as "aggressions" and violations of international law, and also voiced serious concern over the subsequent US strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described Araghchi’s meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Defence Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman as "fruitful." The talks reportedly covered bilateral relations, regional developments, and the future of diplomatic engagement in the Middle East.

The renewed dialogue reflects ongoing efforts by both countries to stabilise ties and reduce tensions amid an evolving regional security landscape.