One year ago, Saudi Arabia and Israel were supposedly on the brink of a deal to normalize relations.
That deal has seemingly evaporated as Iran’s foreign minister visits the kingdom on Tuesday to discuss efforts to halt Israel’s incursions into Gaza and Lebanon.
“Our dialogue continues regarding the developments in the region to prevent the shameless crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon, in continuation of the crimes in Gaza,” Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a video broadcast on state media.
He added: “Starting today, I’ll begin a trip to the region, to Riyadh and other capitals, and we will strive for a collective movement from the countries of the region… to stop the brutal attacks in Lebanon.”
The Saudis share a longtime strategic partnership with the U.S. and are the largest purchaser of its weapons. But in recent years, they’ve had a political rapprochement with Iran.