Iran’s President claims he’s ‘too busy’ to attend summit in Saudi - analysis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Sunday evening to discuss Iran-Saudi Arabia relations. According to Iranian state media IRNA, Pezeshkian told MBS that he would be unable to attend yesterday’s joint meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, claiming that his schedule is backed up.

Now, one would have assumed that Iran would want its top leader at the meeting if only to use the meeting to rally support against Israel. Saudi Arabia has been very critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Riyadh also wants to use the meeting to showcase its regional steadiness in leadership of the Arab and Muslim world.

Iranian media reported that “Pezeshkian said that his Vice-president Mohammad Reza Aref will be attending the meeting, expressing assurance that the gathering, thanks to the prudence of the Saudi crown prince, will produce tangible results aimed at halting the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.”

It continued, “Referring to the determination of Iranian and Saudi officials… Pezeshkian expressed hope that ties between the two countries are further developed.” MBS said he understood that Pezeshkian would not attend, and wished Iran success: “Ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia are now at a historic turning point, bin Salman said, expressing hope that the bilateral relations are promoted to their highest level,” IRNA reported.

The Crown Prince then invited Pezeshkian to visit Saudi Arabia later.

Last March, China helped broker a Saudi-Iran reconciliation deal, signaling a regional shift. Iranian state media reported on Monday that Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref left for Riyadh to take part in the summits, “aimed at bringing an end to the Israeli regime’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.”

Ending ongoing war in Lebanon and Gaza

The IRNA report added that before leaving Riyadh, “Aref said that the event aims primarily to help put an end to the ongoing war and bloodshed in Lebanon and Palestine.” Representatives from more than 50 countries were set to arrive in Riyadh for the meeting.

The meeting comes as the region gears up for incoming US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. In May 2017, Trump participated in an Arab-Islamic-American summit in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Arab leaders, like MBS and Mahmoud Abbas, have spoken with Trump since he won the election on November 5.