MbS meets Iran's Larijani, Pakistan’s Sharif amid Gaza war

Saudi Arabia this week hosted senior officials from Iran and Pakistan in meetings that highlight Riyadh’s growing role as a diplomatic hub in the region, as Israel’s war on Gaza and strikes beyond its borders fuel wider instability.

Iran’s Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in Riyadh on Tuesday.

According to Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, the talks "reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations. In addition to discussing several other issues and topics of common interest, we discussed developments in the regional situation and the efforts being made to achieve security and stability".

Iranian media said the meetings covered security and economic cooperation. Larijani was quoted by Iran International as saying that "countries in the region feel that what Iran has long said - that an adventurous actor prevents stability - has now taken a more concrete shape", in an apparent reference to Israel.

His comments came less than a week after an Israeli airstrike in Doha killed six people, an attack condemned by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Riyadh for a state visit.

Arab News reported that the trip, at the invitation of MbS, aims to "review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest".

Sharif’s office described Saudi Arabia as a "key economic ally and strategic partner". The visit is expected to address trade, investment and labour ties at a time when Pakistan faces ongoing fiscal challenges.

The back-to-back visits emphasise Saudi Arabia’s balancing strategy.

Since shelving US-brokered normalisation talks with Israel in late 2023, Riyadh has sought to reduce tensions with Iran and deepen partnerships across the Muslim world while maintaining close ties with Washington.

Regional analysts say Israeli operations - from Gaza to recent strikes in Lebanon and Qatar - have accelerated the pace of consultations.

The presence of both Larijani and Sharif in Riyadh in the same week signals Saudi Arabia’s intent to position itself as a key interlocutor in the evolving regional order.