Latest news with #China-brokered
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Saudi Defence Minister warned Iran to accept Trump nuclear deal to avoid Israeli strike: Report
Saudi Arabia's defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, visited Tehran last month with a direct and urgent message for Iranian officials: take US President Donald Trump's offer of nuclear negotiations seriously or risk the threat of military escalation from Israel. According to four Reuters sources familiar with the matter, including two Gulf officials close to Saudi government circles and two Iranian officials, the prince conveyed this warning in a closed-door meeting at Iran's presidential compound on April 17. Present were Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. The 37-year-old prince—who served as Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington during Trump's first term—told Iranian leaders that Trump had little patience for prolonged diplomacy and that the window for reaching an agreement was closing fast, the sources said. Prince Khalid's visit marked the first by a senior Saudi royal to Iran in over two decades, signalling Riyadh's concern over escalating regional tensions. He warned that failure to reach a deal with the Trump administration could invite Israeli military action, a scenario Saudi Arabia hoped to avert. The message came shortly after Trump publicly confirmed direct talks with Tehran aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief—an announcement made in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had travelled to Washington seeking support for strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. During the meeting, President Pezeshkian expressed Iran's willingness to negotiate but also voiced skepticism over the Trump administration's 'unpredictable' diplomatic conduct, the Iranian sources said. They noted Iran's desire for sanctions relief but its refusal to dismantle its uranium enrichment program entirely. So far, five rounds of negotiations have taken place between Washington and Tehran, but hurdles—especially around enrichment limits—remain. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Iran may consider pausing uranium enrichment if the US unfreezes Iranian funds and recognises its right to enrich uranium for civilian use, potentially paving the way for a broader deal. Iran's foreign ministry has publicly denied any pause in enrichment. Once staunch rivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic ties following a China-brokered détente in 2023. But sources say Riyadh and other regional powers remain wary of Iran's long-term intentions, viewing Tehran as an unreliable actor whose missteps could destabilize the region again. (With inputs from Reuters)
Gulf Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Saudi airline resumes first Iran Hajj flights since 2015: Official
A Saudi airline has resumed flights for Iranian Hajj pilgrims to the kingdom for the first time in a decade, the latest sign of the warming ties between the countries. "Flynas resumed Iranian pilgrims flights from Imam Khomeini (airport) in Tehran on Saturday," a Saudi civil aviation authority official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said flights would also be added from Mashhad in Iran, allowing more than 35,000 pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia on the airline. Flynas is a budget airline based in Saudi Arabia, which operates domestic and international routes. The official stressed that the flights were not commercial and were only for the Hajj pilgrimage. The Hajj is due to begin during the first week of June, and pilgrims from across the globe have already begun pouring into Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations in March 2023 under a surprise China-brokered deal after a seven-year rupture. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests after Saudi Arabia executed Shiite cleric Nimr Al Nimr. No Iranian pilgrims were allowed into Saudi Arabia in 2016, the year that ties were ruptured, as the two sides were unable to organise a protocol for them to attend. Pilgrims from Iran were later allowed to join the Hajj but only allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia on Iranian chartered flights during the Hajj season. But since the March 2023 Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, the regional powers have intensified their contacts. The two exchanged ambassadors and visits of foreign ministers before the late Ebrahim Raisi made the first visit by an Iranian president to the kingdom in 20 years for a joint Arab-Islamic summit on the Gaza war in November 2023. In December, Iran Air resumed operations between Mashhad and Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. And last month, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman travelled in a rare visit by a Saudi royal to Iran where he also met supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Agence France-Presse
Daily Tribune
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Saudi Airline Flynas Lands in Iran for First Time in Nearly a Decade
In a landmark development that underscores the warming ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Saudi-based low-cost airline Flynas landed in Tehran on Saturday night, marking the first direct flight between the two nations in nearly a decade. The flight is a major milestone in the ongoing normalization of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran, which have steadily improved following a China-brokered agreement in 2023 to restore diplomatic missions and enhance cooperation. The resumption of air travel is seen as a symbolic and practical step toward deeper economic, religious, and political engagement. The move is expected to ease travel for pilgrims, businesspeople, and families, and promote further dialogue and stability in the region. This historic flight also reflects the broader shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, where once-tense relationships are being recalibrated through diplomacy and mutual interest. Flynas' return to Iranian airspace after nearly a decade highlights a shared commitment by both nations to move past old hostilities and chart a new course for collaboration and peace.
Daily Tribune
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Saudi airline resumes first Iran hajj flights since 2015: official
A Saudi airline has resumed flights for Iranian hajj pilgrims to the kingdom for the first time in a decade, the latest sign of the warming ties between the countries. 'Flynas resumed Iranian pilgrims flights from Imam Khomeini (airport) in Tehran on Saturday,' a Saudi civil aviation authority official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said flights would also be added from Mashhad in Iran, allowing more than 35,000 pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia on the airline. Flynas is a budget airline based in Saudi Arabia, which operates domestic and international routes. The official stressed that the flights were not commercial and were only for the hajj pilgrimage. The hajj is due to begin during the first week of June, and pilgrims from across the globe have already begun pouring into Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations in March 2023 under a surprise China-brokered deal after a seven-year rupture. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests after Saudi Arabia executed Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. No Iranian pilgrims were allowed into Saudi Arabia in 2016, the year that ties were ruptured, as the two sides were unable to organise a protocol for them to attend.
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Saudi airline resumes first Iran hajj flights since 2015
A Saudi airline has resumed flights for Iranian hajj pilgrims to the kingdom for the first time in a decade, the latest sign of the warming ties between the countries. "Flynas resumed Iranian pilgrims flights from Imam Khomeini (airport) in Tehran on Saturday," a Saudi civil aviation authority official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said flights would also be added from Mashhad in Iran, allowing more than 35,000 pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia on the airline. Flynas is a budget airline based in Saudi Arabia, which operates domestic and international routes. The official stressed that the flights were not commercial and were only for the hajj pilgrimage. The hajj is due to begin during the first week of June, and pilgrims from across the globe have already begun pouring into Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations in March 2023 under a surprise China-brokered deal after a seven-year rupture. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests after Saudi Arabia executed Nimr al-Nimr. Since the March 2023 Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, the regional powers have intensified their contacts. The two exchanged ambassadors and visits of foreign ministers before the late Ebrahim Raisi made the first visit by an Iranian president to the kingdom in 20 years for a joint Arab-Islamic summit on the Gaza war in November 2023. In December, Iran Air resumed operations between Mashhad and Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. Last month, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman travelled in a rare visit by a Saudi royal to Iran where he also met supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
