Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, delivered a firm message to Iranian officials during a high-level visit to Tehran in April, which was ‘’accept President Donald Trump’s offer to negotiate a nuclear agreement or risk a potential Israeli military strike”
According to a new report by Reuters, acting on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the 89-year-old monarch dispatched his son to warn Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about the urgent need to engage constructively in nuclear talks. This move was driven by concerns over increasing instability in the region, according to Gulf and Iranian sources close to the matter.
The closed-door meeting took place on April 17 in the presidential compound in Tehran and included President Masoud Pezeshkian, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. While Prince Khalid’s visit was publicly covered, the content of King Salman’s private message had not been previously disclosed.
According to the report , Prince Khalid, who previously served as Saudi ambassador to Washington during Trump’s first term, warned that the U.S. president had little patience for prolonged negotiations. Trump had announced just days earlier that direct talks with Tehran were underway, aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
His announcement came during a press event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Washington to advocate for a more aggressive stance on Iran.
In the meeting, Prince Khalid stressed that the window for diplomacy would be short and that a deal would be preferable to the alternative: a potential Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities if negotiations failed. The Saudi minister noted that the region, already destabilised by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, could not afford further escalation.
This visit marked the first time in over two decades that a senior Saudi royal had travelled to Iran, underscoring the significance of the message. Once bitter rivals who supported opposing factions in regional conflicts, Riyadh and Tehran began mending ties in 2023 after a rapprochement brokered by China, which led to the restoration of diplomatic relations.
