Saudi military chief plans Tehran visit as Middle East dynamics shift

Saudi Arabias top military leader is set to meet with Iranian officials in a ground-breaking visit next week (which shows growing ties between these long-time regional rivals)

Fayyad al-Ruwaili will lead a high-ranking Saudi team to Tehran where theyʼll discuss defense cooperation with Mohammad Bagheri — Irans armed forces chief. The meeting comes after both nations re-started diplomatic relations about a year ago; thanks to Chinaʼs help

The timing is interesting: right after Donald Trump won another term. During his first presidency he helped create the Abraham Accords which got some Arab countries to talk with Israel. Jared Kushner — Trumps son-in-law has been talking with Mohammed bin Salman about getting Saudi Arabia involved too

• Previous phone talks between military chiefs
• Focus on regional security issues
• Plans for defense partnerships
• Discussion of Middle-East stability

Last year Prince Khalid bin Salman and Iranian military leaders had a phone chat about working together. This new meeting shows how things have changed since the two countries stopped fighting — they had not talked for like 7 years which made everything in the Gulf pretty shaky

The meet-up might change how countries work together in places like Yemen and Syria; where both Saudi Arabia and Iran have different ideas about whats best. Its important because these two big countries can make the whole area more stable when they dont fight