Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left) met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month (agencies)
Top defense officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran discussed military cooperation between the two countries in "the latest sign that the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is bringing the former rivals closer," according to Bloomberg News.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman told Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Hossein Bagheri that he "welcomes the increased level of cooperation of the armed forces of the two countries," Bloomberg quoted the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency as saying, without giving further details.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the matter. Tehran and Riyadh have previously clashed over defense issues including the U.S. military's presence in the Middle East, the civil war in Yemen, and Iran's support for militant groups across the region hostile to Saudi interests.
The two countries naturally re-established relations in March, after years of strained by rivalries for regional influence.
Contacts have increased dramatically since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting in November to express support for the Palestinians.
Iran is looking to capitalize on its improved relations with longtime rival Saudi Arabia to expand cooperation with the kingdom and neighboring Gulf states at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States in Persian Gulf waters.
The Chinese-brokered deal in March restored relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia after a seven-year dispute.
While Riyadh remains Washington's close security partner, the kingdom has also sought to diversify its international ties and foster closer ties with China and Russia, which have strengthened ties with Iran while embarking on improving its relations in the region.
On the growing tension between Tehran and Washington, the United States has strengthened its troop posture in the Persian Gulf as well as in the eastern Mediterranean in an effort to prevent the spread of conflict as a growing number of militias, many of which have ties to Iran, have sought to open new fronts against Israel and its supporters.
Iran has protested the presence of U.S. ships operating in territorial waters, including the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian officials threatening to close it by force in response to simmering tensions with the United States.
Tehran has recently sought to mend regional ties and boost cooperation, with Iran now calling for a common position among Muslim countries to enact harsh measures against Israel over the war in Gaza.
In a phone call on Wednesday with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed that "Islamic countries must continue their efforts to completely stop the war crimes committed by the Zionist regime and open wide routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Source: American Press