Saudi Crown Prince, Iranian Pres. Hold First Call Amid Israel-Hamas War

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have held their first phone call amid the escalation in regional tensions due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. During the 11 October call the two discussed the "need to end war crimes against Palestine," according to Iranian state media, while Saudi media reported that MBS "affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation,".

• The two regional powers have fostered closer relations in recent months since restoring diplomatic relations as part of a China-brokered deal. The roles of Riyadh and Tehran could prove important in the context of the war. For its part, it will be very likely if not impossible for Saudi to move towards the normalisation of relations with Israel while any attacks on the Gaza strip are taking place.
• With Iran there is significant focus on whether Hezbollah in Lebanon - which has close links to Tehran - seeks its own conflict with Israel, as well as whether any link is established between Iran and Hamas' attacks.
• Reuters reportsthat in response to the call, a US State Dep't spox stated that the US was encouraging its regional allies "to get Hamas to stand down from its attacks, to release hostages, keep Hezbollah out (and) keep Iran out of the fray."