Saudi Arabia will not permit its airspace or territory to be used for military operations against Iran, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
During a phone call, the crown prince said Riyadh supports all efforts aimed at resolving disputes through dialogue in order to strengthen regional security and stability.
Iranian media earlier reported that President Pezeshkian welcomed any initiative, in line with international law, that could prevent the outbreak of war.
The Saudi stance follows a similar position taken by the United Arab Emirates, which has said it would not allow its airspace or territorial waters to be used for military action against Iran.
Concerns over possible military escalation have grown after US President Donald Trump said last week that a US “armada” was heading towards Iran, though he added that he hoped force would not be necessary. Speaking again on Tuesday, Trump said another US naval force was moving towards the region and expressed hope that Tehran would reach an agreement with Washington.
“There is another beautiful armada floating beautifully towards Iran right now,” Trump said. “I hope they make a deal.”
Trump’s warnings were linked to Iran’s handling of protests and the possibility of restarting its nuclear programme. However, nationwide demonstrations have since subsided.
Two US officials told Reuters on Monday that a US aircraft carrier and accompanying warships have arrived in the Middle East, enhancing Washington’s ability to defend its forces or potentially carry out military action against Iran.
Iran has faced months of unrest, during which human rights groups say security forces killed thousands of people, including civilians. These organisations have described the crackdown as the most severe since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian authorities, however, have blamed the violence on terrorists and rioters backed by exiled opposition groups.