A historic military meeting took place in Tehran on Sunday as Saudi Arabia's military chief Fayyad al-Ruwaili met with Iranian leadership, marking a significant step in the warming relations between the two regional powers, AFP reported.
During the talks at "the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Headquarters," al-Ruwaili engaged in discussions with Iran's top military commander, General Mohammad Bagheri.
According to IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, the focus was on "the development of defense diplomacy and the expansion of bilateral cooperation."
At the meeting, Bagheri expressed interest in deeper naval collaboration, stating "We would like the Saudi navy to join Iranian naval exercises next year, either as participants or observers."
Iran and Saudi Arabia were longtime regional rivals and Saudi Arabia broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.
However, the two countries agreed to normalize relations in March of 2023 as part of a China-brokered deal.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry officially announced last June that it would reopen its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the agreement.
Last month, Saudi Arabia and Iran, together with other nations, participated in military exercises in the Sea of Oman.