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USA TodaySep 11, 2023
Saudi Crown Prince, Iran President Speak For First Time Since Ties Restored
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Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
Iranian Pres. Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday held their first direct talks since Tehran and Riyadh resumed diplomatic relations, discussing the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
At the initiative of Iran's Raisi, they discussed the current military situation in Gaza and its surroundings. According to Saudi state media, the Crown Prince reaffirmed that Riyadh has actively engaged with all international and regional parties to halt the escalation.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The historic phone call between bin Salman and Raisi is a powerful sign of solidarity over concerns about the impacts on Palestine. While the West condemns the atrocities being carried out in Israel, it largely ignores the long history of Israeli treatment of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Pro-establishment narrative
Saudi Arabia and Iran may invoke unity, but in reality, they only use Palestine as a political tool. Tehran isn't pro-Palestinian but merely anti-American and anti-Semitic, while Riyadh has had numerous chances to advocate a solution to Palestinian problems, but this doesn't serve its national interests. This is especially so since Riyadh sought to normalize relations with Israel — Iran's archrival.
