From Gaza to Iran Israel’s Expanding War Front

 🗞🗞Saudi Arabia's defense minister delivered a blunt warning to Iranian officials in Thran last month. Take US President Donald Trump's offer to negotiate a nuclear agreement seriously or risk war with Israel. King Salman bin Abdulaziz concerned about regional instability sent his son Prince Khaled bin Salman to deliver the message directly to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khame according to two Gulf sources and two Iranian officials.

Prince Khaled met Iranian President Masud Peshkian, armed forces chief of staff Muhammad Bairi, and foreign minister Abbas Iraqi behind closed doors on April 17th inside Thran's presidential compound. The sources said while media outlets covered the 37-year-old prince's visit, they did not report the content of his message.
Sources said Prince Khaled, who served as Saudi ambassador to Washington during Trump's first term, warned that the US president had little patience for prolonged negotiations. Trump had unexpectedly revealed a week earlier that Washington was engaged in direct talks with Thran to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. He made the announcement alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had flown to Washington, hoping instead to secure support for military action against Iranian nuclear sites. In Thran, Prince Khaled told Iranian officials that Trump wanted a quick deal and that the diplomatic window would close fast, according to the sources. The US prefers a deal over escalation, but if diplomacy fails, the consequences will be severe, Prince Khaled said. According to the two Gulf sources, it's better to engage with Washington than to face potential Israeli strikes. He emphasized that the region, already destabilized by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, could not afford further escalation. Neither Saudi nor Iranian officials responded to requests for comment. Prince Khaled's visit marked the first by a senior Saudi royal to Iran in over two decades. The two regional rivals long at odds in backing opposing factions in proxy wars began easing tensions in 2023 following a rapper brokered by China.

 Iran's regional standing has weakened in recent years following Israeli strikes on its allies Hamas and Hezbollah and the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Western sanctions have further battered Iran's oil dependent economy.
Muhammad Haga Ali, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, said Riad seized on Thran's vulnerability to push diplomacy and avoid war. Saudi Arabia doesn't want a war with Iran. It would derail its economic vision.

 Alli said the sources did not confirm how Iran's leadership responded to Prince Khaled's message. However, during the meeting, President Peskian said Iran sought a deal to ease economic pressure through sanctions relief. Iranian officials voiced concern over Trump's unpredictable negotiating style, which they said shifted from permitting limited enrichment to demanding a complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program. They said Peskian made clear Iran would not abandon its enrichment program simply to satisfy Trump's desire for a quick agreement. One Iranian source quoted him as saying, "We want a deal, but not one that compromises our core interests." Talks between Washington and Thrron have gone through five rounds, but major hurdles remain, chief among them, uranium enrichment.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Iran might pause enrichment if the US released frozen funds and recognized its right to refine uranium for civilian use as part of a political deal. Saudi television network Alraia saying that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Sources with Hamas are saying that has not been agreed to. If and when that does happen, will we expect to hear something from President Trump announcing that? As I said earlier, yes indeed. Uh if there is an announcement to be made, it will come from the White House, the president, myself, or special envoy Whit. Trump said on Wednesday he had warned Netanyahu against actions that might disrupt negotiations, adding, "We're very close to a solution now." Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment. Trump's recent 4-day visit to the Gulf cemented Saudi Arabia's position as the key player in a new Sunni alliance. During the trip, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman helped mediate a reconciliation between Trump and Syria's new Sunni leader Ahmed Asharah. Meanwhile, Iran's influence has diminished after setbacks to its allies in the Shiite dominated axis of resistance, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias. In the Tehran meeting, Prince Khaled urged Iran to reconsider its regional posture. "A shift in policy would be welcomed, especially by Riad," he told them.
Though he didn't blame Iran directly, Prince Khaled raised concerns about a repeat of the 2019 drone attacks on Aramco facilities, attacks Riad attributed to Iran and its Houthi allies.

 Iranian officials denied responsibility but acknowledged they had limited control over the Houthi's actions. Decades of hostility between the two countries destabilized the Gulf and fueled conflicts across the region.

 The 2023 dant partly driven by Crown Prince Muhammad's economic vision led to renewed diplomatic engagement. Still, diplomats and regional experts said Saudi Arabia and its neighbors remain wary of Iran's reliability as a peace partner. Prince Khaled urged Iranian leaders to restrain their actions and those of their allies, warning that Trump's response would likely be more forceful than those of his predecessors, Joe Biden and Barack Obama. To reassure tyranned said Riyad would not allow the US or Israel to use Saudi territory or airspace for any military operation against Iran. The sources said