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Iran’s President too occupied to join Saudi summit
On Sunday evening, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone to talk about the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. As reported by Iran’s state media IRNA, Pezeshkian informed MBS that he could not participate in the joint meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held yesterday, stating that his calendar is congested.
One might have expected that Iran would desire its highest leader present at the meeting, if only to utilize the occasion to garner backing against Israel. Saudi Arabia has expressed strong criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and Lebanon. Riyadh aims to utilize the meeting to demonstrate its regional stability in leading the Arab and Muslim nations.
IRNA Statement
Iranian news outlets stated that “Pezeshkian said that his Vice-president Mohammad Reza Aref will be attending the meeting, expressing assurance that the gathering, thanks to the prudence of the Saudi crown prince, will produce tangible results aimed at halting the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.”
It continued, “Referring to the determination of Iranian and Saudi officials… Pezeshkian expressed hope that ties between the two countries are further developed.” MBS acknowledged that Pezeshkian would be absent and expressed his hopes for Iran’s success: “Ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia are now at a historic turning point, bin Salman said, expressing hope that the bilateral relations are promoted to their highest level,” IRNA reported.
The Crown Prince subsequently invited Pezeshkian to travel to Saudi Arabia at a later time.
In March of last year, China facilitated an agreement for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, indicating a change in the region. Iranian state news announced on Monday that Iran’s Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref departed for Riyadh to participate in the summits,“aimed at bringing an end to the Israeli regime’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.”
Concluding the continuous conflict in Lebanon and Gaza
The IRNA report mentioned that prior to departing from Riyadh, “Aref said that the event aims primarily to help put an end to the ongoing war and bloodshed in Lebanon and Palestine.” Delegates from over 50 nations were scheduled to come to Riyadh for the gathering.
The meeting takes place as the area prepares for the upcoming inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. In May 2017, Trump took part in a summit for Arab-Islamic-American leaders in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Arab leaders such as MBS and Mahmoud Abbas have engaged in discussions with Trump following his election victory on November 5.
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