Riyadh, Saudi Arabia–Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to attend a summit in the Saudi capital on Sunday addressing the Israel-Hamas war, a source familiar with the preparations told AFP on Monday.
It would be Raisi’s first visit to the Gulf kingdom since the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years of severed ties, a deal brokered by China and announced in March.
The summit is being organised by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member bloc of majority Muslim countries based in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.
It is planned to take place one day after an emergency meeting of Arab League leaders on the war, also in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
“President Raisi will attend the summit of the OIC in Riyadh,” the source familiar with planning for the summit told AFP on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the plans with the media.
Also read: Exclusive reports on Gaza-related developments
The OIC has repeatedly spoken out against attacks on civilians in Gaza, where Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas in response to the militant group’s October 7 attack, which Israeli officials say left more than 1,400 people dead, mostly civilians, and saw 240 taken hostage.
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 10,000 people, including more than 4,000 children, the Gaza health ministry said Monday after nearly one month of relentless Israeli bombardment.
Raisi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held their first phone call on October 12 in which both men voiced support for the Palestinian cause and, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA, discussed the “need to end war crimes against Palestine”.
Neither country recognises Israel, though before the war broke out Saudi Arabia was involved in discussions brokered by the United States about possible normalisation.
Iran has long provided financial and military support for Hamas.
Saudi officials are deeply worried about a possible widening of the war that could derail Prince Mohammed’s sweeping Vision 2030 reform agenda intended to transition the world’s biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.