NEW YORK, November 29. /TASS/. Saudi Arabia has offered to invest in Iran’s economy if Tehran does not allow the conflict between Israel and Hamas to expand to the rest of the region, Bloomberg reported.
According to the news agency, the Saudis will inject money into Iran if it can influence its "proxies" in the region and prevent them from turning the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas into a large-scale military confrontation. The Saudi side has been offering this both directly and through various intermediaries since Palestinian militants invaded Israel's territory on October 7 and triggered the new escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
Furthermore, the possibility of interaction on this subject between Tehran and Riyadh was discussed during a face-to-face meeting between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, which took place on the sidelines of the Arab and Islamic Summit on November 11. According to the agency's sources, Raisi was one of the first world leaders with whom the heir to the Saudi throne held talks after October 7.
The Saudi source also notes that Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is currently focused on de-escalating relations with Iran. The source says that during recent meetings with Iranian officials, the prince has sought to emphasize the benefits of diplomatic cooperation between the countries and has expressed concern over Iran's support for armed groups based in Arab countries.
The Saudi and Iranian sides refused to provide any comments to the agency.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 after militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 200 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ aggressive actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel declared a total siege of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.