King Salman’s historic meeting last Friday with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal “was part of an effort by Riyadh to shore up Arab unity in the face of a perceived threat from Iran that it believes has become more urgent since last week’s nuclear deal,” writes Angus McDowall in Reuters.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
Meshaal, who was on pilgrimage to Mecca, “praised the positive stance of the kingdom’s leadership towards the Palestinian cause,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The visit marks the first time in four years that a Saudi king has publicly acknowledged talks with Hamas, according to the BBC, though it is widely suspected that Saudi Arabia is in regular contact with Hamas officials behind the scenes.
Mustafa Alani, an Iraqi analyst reportedly close to the Saudi Interior Ministry, told Reuters that the meeting was “part of the grand strategy of countering Iranian influence. It’s the main issue for Saudi Arabia and it’s more urgent after the nuclear deal.”
No photos were released by the SPA of the visit.
