Larijani’s Riyadh Mission — A Hidden Deal in the Making?
WANA (Sep 19) – Less than two years have passed since Tehran and Riyadh agreed to resume diplomatic ties, yet Ali Larijani’s presence in the Saudi capital signals that this reconciliation goes beyond reopening embassies. His third foreign trip as Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council—after Beirut and Baghdad—carries a message of building a multilayered regional security architecture, one that Tehran seeks to shape through a mix of politics, economics, and defense cooperation.
A Step-by-Step Path: From Lebanon to Iraq, and Now Saudi Arabia
Larijani’s travel map reveals a clear pattern. In Beirut, he engaged with the resistance axis and stressed the independence of Lebanese decision-making. In Baghdad, he signed a security agreement with Iraq to manage borders and shared threats. And now in Riyadh, he meets a player that for years stood against Iran in the files of Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
A warm public and official welcome awaited Ali Larijani, as groups of Lebanese citizens gathered along the roads leading to Beirut International Airport, waving Iranian and Lebanese flags in greeting. Social Media / WANA News Agency
This sequence suggests Tehran is intent on both consolidating traditional allies and bringing rivals to the table. If Beirut and Baghdad were the first pillars of a new security framework, Riyadh is the ceiling without which the structure remains incomplete.
Why Now?
The answer lies on two levels:
1. Regional Security: After recent regional turmoil and Israeli aggressions—most notably its latest strike on Qatar—the risk of a wider Gulf crisis is more serious than ever. While Iran and Saudi Arabia have long faced off across various arenas, both understand that further instability is a shared threat.
2. Global Economy: Energy markets, already strained by the Ukraine war and repeated attacks on Gulf oil infrastructure, demand coordination between the region’s two largest oil producers more than ever. Dialogue between Tehran and Riyadh is not only political but also has direct implications for global energy dynamics.
Draft Statement of Doha Summit: Repeated Condemnations, No Concrete Action
WANA (Sep 15) – The emergency joint meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League convenes today (Monday) in Doha, following last week’s Israeli attack on Qatar. Expectations were high that this summit might mark a turning point in Arab and Islamic positions. However, according to a report by Al […]
The Crucial Axis: Hard Security
A key feature of this trip is Larijani’s meeting with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman—the Crown Prince’s brother and a central player in the kingdom’s power structure. Khalid previously delivered a special message from the Saudi king to Tehran. Talks at a defense-security level indicate that Tehran and Riyadh are ready to move beyond “soft security” (diplomacy and economy) into the domain of “hard security” (military and defense).
Given the ongoing contacts between Iranian officials and senior Saudi figures over the past year, military cooperation between the two states appears to be pursued more seriously than ever. Khalid bin Salman, cousin of Mohammed bin Salman, was already a subject of extensive analysis during and after his visits to Tehran. His latest meeting with Iran’s national security chief now points toward new horizons for security and defense cooperation.
Ali Larijani in Saudi Arabia. Social media / WANA News Agency
According to some reports, Iran has proposed setting up a joint operations room against Israeli activities—an ambitious but not impossible plan, built on the premise of a shared adversary.
After meeting Larijani, Khalid bin Salman wrote on X: “In my meeting with Ali Larijani, we reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations and discussed issues of mutual interest and efforts to achieve security and stability.”
Until recently, two fixed assumptions dominated regional foreign policy doctrines: “Iran is the regional threat” and “Israel is only a threat to Iran.” Both assumptions have shifted in recent months.
Following his meeting with bin Salman, Iran’s top security official commented on this change, saying: “Our Saudi friends already had a relatively clear view of these developments, but now it has become much clearer. Different countries in the region feel that the path Iran long argued for—that a reckless actor prevents stability—has now taken on a more concrete form.”
Meeting Between Saudi Crown Prince and Iranian President
WANA (Sep 15) – The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who has traveled to Qatar to attend and address the emergency summit of Islamic and Arab leaders, held talks with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, to participate in and […]
Obstacles and Contradictions
Despite the positive outlook, several major hurdles remain:
Washington: Saudi Arabia is still a strategic U.S. ally. Any deepening of Tehran–Riyadh ties will trigger sensitivities in Washington, and sustaining such agreements requires delicate balancing.
Tel Aviv: Israel openly opposes rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh, working through Gulf security lobbies to block the path. Yet the paradox is clear: Israel’s violence in Gaza is itself pushing Riyadh to distance from Tel Aviv and reconsider its calculations.
Ali Larijani in Saudi Arabia. Social media / WANA News Agency
Toward a New Regional Security Architecture
This trip sends a single overarching message: Iran no longer wants to be defined solely by the “language of force.” The new strategy seeks to blend diplomacy, economics, and military cooperation to build sustainable, endogenous security for the region. If successful, the Middle East could enter an era where managing differences replaces endless wars of attrition.
But Riyadh will be a critical test. The outcome of this stop will determine whether Iran’s blueprint for a new regional security architecture becomes reality—or remains an unfinished draft.
