Saudi Arabia has stepped up direct contacts with Iran in an effort to contain the escalating war in the Middle East and prevent further deterioration, according to a report by Bloomberg citing several European officials.
Saudi officials have recently used a diplomatic backchannel to communicate with Tehran with greater urgency to try to de-escalate tensions and prevent the conflict from worsening, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks involve sensitive discussions.
Several countries in the Middle East and Europe are supporting the Saudi initiative, the officials added, according to Bloomberg.