Iran president lands in Saudi Arabia for Gaza summit

RIYADH: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for the OIC summit on Gaza, state-affiliated media reported, his first visit since the two countries agreed to restore ties in March.

Middle East leaders have called for a ceasefire in Gaza conflict while warning the conflict risks drawing in other countries, a threat Raisi on Saturday blamed on Washington’s staunch support for Israel.

“The war machine in Gaza belongs to the US,” he said before departing for Riyadh. “The US has prevented the ceasefire in Gaza and is expanding the scope of the war.”

Footage aired on the Al-Ekhbariya channel showed Raisi, wearing a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, greeting Saudi officials at the airport after disembarking from his plane.

Saudi Arabia and Iran severed ties in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

But in March, a China-brokered deal saw the long-time rivals agree to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have backed opposing sides in conflict zones across the Middle East for years.