TEHRAN (Iran News) Hassanzadeh, who was in Mecca to attend the 41st General Assembly of the Islamic Chamber, emphasized the importance of direct trade channels between Iran and Sausdi Arabia. He proposed the reciprocal dispatch and reception of trade delegations and the organization of a dedicated trade exhibition in Saudi Arabia to showcase Iranian commercial capacities. “Currently, Iran and Saudi Arabia do not have direct commercial exchanges,” he said, stressing the need to remove intermediaries and establish a direct trade framework between the two countries.

The Iranian official highlighted the country’s capabilities in food industries, which meet international standards and are exported worldwide, as a potential area for expanding trade with Saudi Arabia. He also suggested using the Port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, as a primary entry point for Iranian goods, citing its strategic proximity for facilitating commerce.

Hassanzadeh further proposed organizing a dedicated Iranian trade exhibition in Saudi Arabia alongside the visit of a Saudi trade delegation to Iran. He extended an invitation to Sheikh Kamel to visit Iran to gain firsthand familiarity with the country’s economic and industrial capacities.

During the meeting, Hassanzadeh stressed the broader potential of Islamic countries to develop an independent trade route among themselves through the creation of a shared financial exchange center. “Islamic countries have the capacity to establish an independent trade mechanism and strengthen their collective economic resilience,” he said. He urged that such cohesion would allow member countries to respond collectively to external pressures or economic attacks, reducing their vulnerability on the global stage.

Sheikh Saleh Kamel welcomed the proposals, underlining the importance of establishing direct commercial ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. He assured that the idea would be raised with senior officials in Saudi Arabia for follow-up. Kamel also expressed support for the exchange of trade delegations and the organization of the Iranian trade exhibition in Saudi Arabia, describing these measures as an opportunity to facilitate bilateral negotiations and enhance cooperation between the two countries’ business communities.

The meeting included board members of the Saudi Chambers Federation and emphasized strengthening collaboration across various economic sectors, including industrial production, trade facilitation, and logistics. Both sides agreed on the strategic importance of expanding bilateral trade and fostering closer economic ties between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the broader Islamic world.

The discussions reflect growing interest in leveraging economic diplomacy to reinforce ties within the Islamic world and to overcome barriers imposed by intermediaries, sanctions, or other global trade restrictions. Establishing direct trade and a dedicated financial exchange platform is seen as a key step toward increasing regional self-reliance and economic integration.

The post Iran Calls for Direct Trade with Saudi Arabia appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) The two sides expressed satisfaction with cooperation in health sector and underlined developing joint cooperation in scientific, academic, research, and educational fields, which includes the exchange of professors and students, holding joint specialized conferences, and strengthening relations between Iranian and Saudi medical sciences universities.

They also reviewed expanding joint investments in the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, and health infrastructure sectors, and mutually benefiting from existing experiences and capabilities in these fields.

Zafarghandi emphasized the importance of expanding health and science diplomacy and invited his Saudi counterpart to pay an official visit to Tehran to continue bilateral talks.

Iran’s Minister of Health has traveled to Saudi Arabia at the head of a delegation of senior managers from the country’s pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors to participate in the eighth Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh.

They also reviewed expanding joint investments in the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, and health infrastructure sectors, and mutually benefiting from existing experiences and capabilities in these fields.

Zafarghandi emphasized the importance of expanding health and science diplomacy and invited his Saudi counterpart to pay an official visit to Tehran to continue bilateral talks.

Iran’s Minister of Health has traveled to Saudi Arabia at the head of a delegation of senior managers from the country’s pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors to participate in the eighth Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh.

They also reviewed expanding joint investments in the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, and health infrastructure sectors, and mutually benefiting from existing experiences and capabilities in these fields.

Zafarghandi emphasized the importance of expanding health and science diplomacy and invited his Saudi counterpart to pay an official visit to Tehran to continue bilateral talks.

Iran’s Minister of Health has traveled to Saudi Arabia at the head of a delegation of senior managers from the country’s pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors to participate in the eighth Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh.

The post Iran, Saudi Arabia stress developing ties in health, pharmaceutical, and medical equipment fields appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has departed for Jeddah to hold high-level talks with his Saudi counterpart and other senior officials.

Araqchi left Tehran for Jeddah on Saturday to meet with Saudi high-profile authorities to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and international affairs.

Later today, he will travel to Doha to take part in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit, where discussions will revolve around regional cooperation.

Before embarking on the regional tour, the foreign minister told reporters that his trip to Saudi Arabia is part of ongoing regional consultations, including indirect talks with the United States.

He emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue with regional countries from the outset of the negotiations, as their concerns regarding nuclear matters are crucial to achieving any sustainable agreement.

Araqchi left Tehran for Jeddah on Saturday to meet with Saudi high-profile authorities to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and international affairs.

Later today, he will travel to Doha to take part in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit, where discussions will revolve around regional cooperation.

Before embarking on the regional tour, the foreign minister told reporters that his trip to Saudi Arabia is part of ongoing regional consultations, including indirect talks with the United States.

Araqchi left Tehran for Jeddah on Saturday to meet with Saudi high-profile authorities to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and international affairs.

Later today, he will travel to Doha to take part in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit, where discussions will revolve around regional cooperation.

Before embarking on the regional tour, the foreign minister told reporters that his trip to Saudi Arabia is part of ongoing regional consultations, including indirect talks with the United States.

The post Iranian foreign minister heads to Saudi Arabia appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, brother of Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, called on Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran Thursday afternoon to present the message of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.

“We believe that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia will be beneficial for both countries and the two countries can complement each other,” the Leader said.

Referring to some of Iran’s advancements, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The Islamic Republic is ready to help Saudi Arabia in these areas.”

“It is much better for brothers in the region to cooperate and help each other than to rely on others,” he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the expansion of relations between the two countries has enemies. “These hostile motives must be overcome, and we are ready for this,” he said.

The Saudi defense minister expressed great satisfaction with the meeting which was also attended by Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.

“I have come to Tehran with the agenda of expanding relations with Iran and cooperation in all fields,” Prince Khalid said, according to state news agency IRNA.

“And we hope that the constructive talks will provide for stronger relations between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran than in the past,” he added.

Meanwhile earlier in meeting with Saudi Defense Minister, President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia can serve as a model for regional cooperation, stressing that the unity of Islamic countries is a prerequisite for achieving peace, security, and sustainable economic development in the region.

Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Prince Khalid bin Salman and his delegation in Tehran, hours after the Saudi minister arrived in the Iranian capital to discuss regional developments and bilateral relations with Iranian officials.

The Iranian president emphasized the deep religious, cultural, and historical commonalities among Islamic countries, underscoring the necessity of strengthening unity and cohesion in the Islamic world.

“We consider you our brothers, and since the beginning of this government’s tenure, we have made efforts to strengthen fraternal ties among Islamic nations,” Pezeshkian said, adding that if Islamic countries achieve a common language and genuine unity, the Zionist regime will no longer can cause human tragedies like those unfolding in the besieged Gaza Strip nowadays.

He also touched on the importance of setting aside differences and boosting regional cooperation.

“Leaders of Islamic countries can, with a shared will, present an inspiring model of coexistence, prosperity, and progress for other societies. The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to expand its relations with Saudi Arabia in all fields and extend bilateral cooperation to other Islamic countries,” Pezeshkian stressed.

He also hailed the idea of establishing joint working groups in various political, economic, and security areas between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia, by relying on their shared capacities and without foreign interference, can resolve many of the region’s problems. We hope the goodwill that has emerged between the two countries will strengthen the interests of the Islamic world and discourage enemies from interference and sowing discord,” Pezeshkian emphasized.

He also stressed the importance of bilateral dialogue and its constructive role in reinforcing regional stability, expressing Iran’s readiness to host Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince Khalid bin Salman, for his part, expressed his delight at visiting Iran and conveyed the warm greetings of his father, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and his brother, the Crown Prince, to Iran’s president.

“Our meetings with officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been very useful, positive, and constructive,” the Saudi defense minister noted.

He emphasized the need for unity and convergence in the Islamic world, stressing that Pezeshkian “rightly pointed to the root cause of the Islamic world’s problems — the lack of unity and cohesion.”

Prince Khalid bin Salman also stressed that any development, whether positive or negative, inevitably affects all countries in the region.

He further highlighted the key role of Tehran and Riyadh in regional dynamics.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia are two main pillars of the region, and strong relations between the two countries can serve as an effective model for convergence and synergy in the Islamic world. The Beijing Agreement marks the beginning of a path of cooperation between the two countries, and the potential of our relations goes far beyond that,” Prince Khalid bin Salman emphasized.

Signed in March 2023, the China-mediated Beijing Agreement aims to restore diplomatic ties and promote mutual respect for sovereignty and security between Iran and Saudi Arabia under the principles of the UN Charter, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and international law.

The Saudi defense minister also noted that Saudi leaders are eager to visit Iran at the earliest opportunity.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia share common positions regarding the developments in Gaza and Palestine, and the actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria reveal its attempts to exploit the existing regional gaps,” Prince Khalid bin Salman added.

While stressing the importance of continuing bilateral talks, the Saudi defense minister officially invited Pezeshkian, on behalf of the Saudi King and Crown Prince, for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, affirming the readiness of Saudi officials to expand cooperation in all areas with Iran.

The post Iran Ready to Share Its Advancements With Saudi Arabia appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel for cutting off the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip as the first phase of a ceasefire deal with Hamas expired.

The foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia and Egypt issued separate statements on Sunday after Israel stopped humanitarian aid into the besieged territory to pressure Hamas to accept a proposal made by the United States to extend the ceasefire agreement’s first phase that expired a day earlier.

Egypt, which alongside the U.S. and Qatar has mediated the Gaza ceasefire deal, said that the Israeli measure to block aid was a clear violation of the agreement and international humanitarian law, according to Palestine’s Sama news agency.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also said that Israel’s use of starvation policy against Palestinian civilians and putting pressure on them through imposing a blockade are unjustified and unacceptable.

The ministry called on the international community to fulfill its responsibility to stop illegal and inhumane measures against civilian lives, and to condemn any attempt aimed at misusing humanitarian conditions for political purposes.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel’s halt of humanitarian aid into Gaza to use it as a tool for extortion and collective punishment.

This action, the ministry said, is a blatant violation of international law and a direct infringement of the rules of international humanitarian law, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Riyadh renewed calls on the international community to stop these actions, activate international accountability mechanisms, and ensure that Palestinians in Gaza have sustainable access to aid.

The post Saudi Arabia, Egypt condemn Israel for blocking aid entry into Gaza appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Since Iran and Saudi Arabia restored their political relations in March 2023, the development of tourism ties between the two regional economic powerhouses has been the focus of policymakers in Tehran and Riyadh.

In October 2023, the Saudi minister of tourism proposed an agreement to bolster cooperation in the tourism sector, highlighting a desire for a greater influx of Iranian tourists to Saudi Arabia while also encouraging Saudi nationals to visit the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s flagship airline, Iran Air, resumed flights between Mashhad and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on December 31 after a nine-year hiatus. The airline was scheduled to operate two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, in response to strong consumer demands, Iran Air announced it was doubling the capacity of flights on this route.

Jaffar Yazarloo, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Organization, confirmed to IRNA on Sunday that the organization has received a formal request from a Saudi airline to establish scheduled flights between various destinations in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

He said the organization would welcome an increase in flights from Saudi Arabia to Iran.

The post Iran’s civil aviation welcomes proposed increase in flights from Saudi Arabia appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Rahimi met and held talks with the Saudi Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, in Tehran on Sunday.

During the meeting, Rahimi highlighted the current government’s fundamental policy of fostering friendly relations with all countries, particularly neighboring ones.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining and developing connections in various cultural, economic, and political areas between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Al-Anzi expressed hope that strengthening relations across all fields, especially in the legal and judicial sectors, would result in significant progress in the ties between the two friendly and brotherly countries.

He described his discussions with Iranian officials from the Ministry of Justice as very productive and expressed hope that Iran-Saudi relations would continue to improve, thereby enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The post Iran’s justice minister stresses developing legal, judicial ties with Saudi Arabia appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi met with Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali in Tehran on Wednesday.

The two discussed potential cooperation between the two countries in hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“Iran will be one of the most important countries in this competition, and we are interested in having discussions at high levels for joint cooperation before Saudi Arabia hosts the World Cup,” the ambassador said.

Donyamali, for his part, emphasized Iran’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in sports and youth development.

The minister also pointed to Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Islamic Solidarity Games next year, adding that Iran is planning to have a strong participation at the games.

The post Saudi Arabia keen to work with Iran in hosting 2034 World Cup: Envoy appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Iran, Saudi Arabia to Work on Agricultural Development appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Iran, Saudi Arabia Abhor Israeli Atrocities in Rafah appeared first on Iran News Daily.