Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made an unscheduled stop in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday while returning from the BRICS summit in Brazil, meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Mecca before holding talks in Jeddah with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. Both sides discussed bilateral relations, regional developments and ways to bolster security after the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel that ended with a cease-fire on 24 June. The crown prince voiced hope that the truce would strengthen regional stability, and Araghchi thanked Riyadh for condemning Israel’s strikes on Iran. The visit, described by Tehran as “fruitful”, is the highest-level contact between the two rivals since they re-established diplomatic ties in 2023 and underscores their effort to keep rapprochement on track despite the recent war. Saudi officials said the meetings reviewed various areas of cooperation, while Iranian diplomats signalled continued interest in broader diplomatic negotiations, including stalled nuclear talks with Washington.