The Middle East has been sitting on a powder keg since October 7, 2023. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz's visit to Iran last week was a pivotal step toward regional de-escalation that reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s adept role in putting the region on a path toward appeasing tensions. For one thing, it reflects the independence of Saudi Arabia’s regional foreign policy decisions. Second, it is part of an effort by a crucial local player to develop a regional security framework around “cooling” (de-escalation) and its architecture.
Given the role that Riyadh has also been playing in hosting the discussions between the US and Russia, Saudi Arabia’s status as a hub for global diplomacy is difficult to deny.
This Saudi political move is not a sudden development. Rather, it is part of the broader strategic vision outlined in the previous paragraph. Moreover, the Saudi defense minister’s visit is not the first high-level visit to Tehran by a Saudi official. It was preceded by diplomatic engagement that made breakthroughs following the China-brokered agreement between the Kingdom and Iran. However, this visit stands out because it comes at a time when Iran is at its weakest regionally: Saudi Arabia, as Iran’s neighbor, has chosen not to back the effort to isolate Iran during a difficult time for the latter. Indeed, this visit is particularly significant because it amounts to a gesture of goodwill that the Iranians surely recognize and appreciate.
Nevertheless, the visit should not be seen solely through the lens of bilateral rapprochement. At its core, it is a strategic Saudi move that reflects its grasp of the shifting international order. Today, Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries to have maintained stability in a region ablaze- from Lebanon to Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Syria. The Kingdom now recognizes no regional security system can be built around polarization and conflict. The only viable building blocks for such a system are cooperation and shared interests, along with a vision for regional security, especially at a time when smaller powers like Israel are boasting that they will redraw the map of the Middle East.
This approach reflects an evolution in the Kingdom’s position on regional security challenges that break with its reliance on volatile international alliances. If Saudi Arabia does not put its own vision forward, it risks going along the visions of others, and this visit is a clear indication of that strategic recalibration.
At the heart of its vision is direct engagement between the region’s major powers: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and Iran. Saudi Arabia is not merely a central player here; it has decided to become the region’s mediator, the architect of regional de-escalation policy, and a diplomatic hub.
This visit is part of the Kingdom's broader vision. Saudi Arabia believes that its relationships with neighboring countries are essential to a more comprehensive form of regional security. The visit of the Defense Minister, who represents the military establishment, introduces a major security dimension to the Kingdom’s relationship with Iran that goes beyond the diplomatic framework agreed upon in China, taking a step toward a deeper and more practical security arrangement. By taking it, the Kingdom has signaled that the questions once dealt with behind closed doors are discussed in the open. This transparent policy lays the groundwork for practical arrangements with broader and more far-reaching implications.
The visit also coincides with the talks between the United States and Iran in Muscat, meaning that Saudi Arabia is not on the sidelines but a participant in this process. It is a key regional actor with a stake in this dialogue, its parameters, and its outcomes (if there are any).
In conclusion, it appears that Saudi Arabia is not merely aiming to cool typical flashpoints from Yemen to Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, or Sudan. It also seeks to redefine the very concept of regional security, moving beyond purely military strategic balance and placing greater emphasis on mutual trust between regional powers, managing spheres of influence, and protecting regional interests from direct foreign interference. Saudi Arabia’s current foreign policy approach undeniably reflects sharp political awareness and a long-term vision.
