Iranian President and Saudi Crown Prince Speak for the First Time Since Resuming Relations

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict yesterday, Wednesday, in their first phone call since the China-brokered agreement between Tehran and Riyadh to resume relations. Iranian state media reported that Raeisi and the Saudi Crown Prince talked about the "necessity of ending war crimes against Palestine." Saudi Press Agency stated that the Crown Prince emphasized that "the Kingdom is making every possible effort to communicate with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation." The agency added that the Crown Prince stressed "the Kingdom's position rejecting the targeting of civilians in any form and the loss of innocent lives, and the need to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, while expressing deep concern over the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and the impact on civilians' lives." Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume relations in March under an agreement brokered by China after seven years of animosity that threatened stability and security in the Gulf and fueled conflicts in the Middle East, from Yemen to Syria.