FMs Of Iran, Saudi Arabia Discuss Gaza Situation

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud hold a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 17, 2023.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud hold a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 17, 2023.

The Foreign Ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia spoke about the ongoing situation in Gaza on Sunday as Israel and Hamas continued into week three of war.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, spoke by telephone according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The conversation addressed what Amir-Abdollahian termed the "dangerous developments in the Gaza Strip" in familiar language reiterated by Iranian regime figures since Hamas declared war on October 7. The two apparently underscored "the pivotal role of the international community in achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding the civilian population, especially in light of the escalation of military operations", as Israel began targeted ground operations this weekend.

The engagement between Iran and Saudi Arabia follows their in-person meeting at the end of October during a session of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah.

Last week, US President Joe Biden said a primary goal of Iran-backed Hamas' attack of October 7, the single most deadly day for Jews since the Holocaust, was to throw out normalization between Israel and Saudi, following deals with other Persian Gulf states under the Trump administration. 

"One of the reasons Hamas moved on Israel ... they knew that I was about to sit down with the Saudis," Biden said. "Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel."

Just days ago, the Deputy Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi, claimed that Hamas had successfully disrupted efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel with its attack, which it deemed a US conspiracy.