Tehran, Riyadh Plan to Expand Economic, Defense Cooperation: Larijani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said his talks with the Saudi crown prince in Riyadh focused on strengthening economic, regional, and defense cooperation, noting that future collaboration will take on a more structured and organized form.
Speaking on the sidelines of his landmark visit to Riyadh, Larijani said his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman placed special emphasis on economic relations.
He noted that the current level of economic ties between the two countries is low and stressed the need to remove certain obstacles.
The two sides also held consultations on regional cooperation and discussed measures to strengthen stability in the region, Larijani added.
On defense cooperation, Larijani said the discussions examined avenues for expanding collaboration in this field. “It was decided that these efforts will be pursued through designated working groups and will, God willing, assume a more organized form in the future,” he said.
Asked about any shift in regional approaches following recent developments in Qatar, the Iranian official said Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, now have a clearer perspective on regional dynamics.
“Different states in the region increasingly realize that the very path Iran had long warned about — namely, that a certain adventurist actor prevents regional stability — has now become more evident,” Larijani stated.
Larijani’s visit to Saudi Arabia on September 15 came as part of the ongoing consultations between the two regional heavyweights, following the trip Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman made to Tehran in April 2025.
