Iran's President Pezeshkian meets Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal amid fears of regional escalation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Doha amid mounting fears of regional escalation following Iran's massive missile attack on Israel.

The two leaders discussed the latest regional and international developments in their meeting late on Wednesday in Qatar's capital, the official Saudi Press Agency said, without giving details.

Saudi Arabia and Iran, among the region's powerhouses, restored diplomatic ties in March last year, ending a seven-year rift. Their rapprochement has opened the door to top-level contact but caution remains a defining characteristic of their relations.

The meeting in Doha came a day after Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles on Israel to avenge the killing on Friday of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah – Iran's main regional proxy – and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year.

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Israel and its main backer the US have vowed to hit back hard to avenge Tuesday's attack, but Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley – its biggest assault on Israel – was over, barring further provocation.

Sources briefed on diplomatic efforts to defuse tension in the region said Saudi Arabia was searching for ways to prevent a major escalation in the Middle East that could spiral out of control.

Tension in the Middle East and fears of a wider conflict have escalated since the war between Hamas and Israel began nearly a year ago. Iran's proxies in the region, including Yemen's Houthis and armed Shiite groups in Iraq – have attacked Israel in efforts to stop its bombardment of Gaza that has killed about 41,700 people.

Hezbollah's daily exchange of cross-border fire with Israel has inched closer to a full-fledged war over the past fortnight, with Israel carrying out a ground invasion in Lebanon this week, and significantly stepping up air strikes, mostly in southern Lebanon, the group's stronghold, and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim said on Wednesday that Doha will continue mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza. In a joint press conference with the Iranian President, he said: “The recent surge of conflict in Lebanon is what we have been warning against since the beginning of Israeli aggression.” Israel, he added, must “cease its unjust war in Gaza, and the West Bank and its aggression on Lebanon”.

Mr Pezeshkian warned at the news conference that if Israel acts against Iran, then Tehran will respond in a more severe way. “We are not in pursuit of war with Israel,” he said. “They promised us peace. But Israel has terrorised our guests in Tehran during our presidential inauguration. We want to establish peace. If you disagree, peace will not be established.”