TEHRAN -- Top Iranian and Saudi Arabian military officials here Sunday discussed possible ways to improve defense diplomacy.
Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed al-Ruwaili arrived in Tehran earlier in the day to hold talks with top Iranian military officials.
In their meeting, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Bagheri and al-Ruwaili also exchanged views about the improvement of bilateral defense cooperation.
Bagheri and Salman also discussed key issues of the Muslim world and invited each other to visit their respective countries.
In a phone conversation with Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in November 2023, Iran’s highest-ranking military commander said the Armed Forces are fully prepared to promote military ties with Saudi Arabia.
In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to restore diplomatic relations severed in 2016.
As part of a joint statement issued by the two sides, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost ties in various sectors.