In a rare move, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a phone call on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Raisi initiated the call, and it is the first time that the two leaders had spoken since March 2023, when they held a brief phone call to congratulate each other on their respective appointments.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said that the two leaders discussed “the current military situation in Gaza and its environs” and that Prince Mohammed “stressed the importance of reaching a ceasefire and stopping the bloodshed.”
The SPA also said that Prince Mohammed “affirmed the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian people and their right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
The ongoing violence in the region has resulted in a significant loss of life, with more than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza and 1,300 people in Israel reported as killed, according to information provided by Palestinian and Israeli officials.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in March, thanks to a deal brokered by China. This marked the end of seven years of hostility between the two nations. Saudi Arabia broke ties with Iran in 2016 after Iranian protesters had entered Saudi diplomatic facilities in response to Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shia scholar.
Given the long-standing rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the call between Prince Mohammed and Raisi is a significant development. The two countries have been on opposite sides of several regional conflicts, including the war in Syria and the civil war in Yemen.
The fact that Prince Mohammed and Raisi are willing to speak to each other, even if it is only to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, is a sign that they may be interested in improving relations.
It is important to note that Saudi Arabia and Iran have not yet reestablished diplomatic ties, which were severed in 2016. However, the phone call between Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is a positive sign that dialogue between the two countries is possible.
- inputs Bloomberg
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