In a statement on Tuesday, October 22nd, Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of Iran’s navy, announced that Saudi Arabia had invited them to participate in the operations.

Saudi Arabia has asked that we organise joint exercises in the Red Sea. Coordination is underway and delegations from both countries will hold the necessary consultations on how to conduct the exercise,

-Shahram Irani made a statement, but did not provide no details on a possible timeline.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, visited Riyadh and held discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking a sign of warming ties between the two oil-producing nations. The two countries had severed relations in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia cleric and government critic. In response, protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, leading to years of tense relations.

Middle East Eye and agencies