Saudi MBS spoke with the Emir of Kuwait about condemning Iranian attacks on Wednesday. the prime minister of Pakistan contacted him, calling Houthi strikes in the Red Sea 'wrong.outrageous.'. In Washington, discussions focus on a planned US Saudi nuclear deal. The pact is tied to Saudi recognition of Israel under conditions set by Trump's earlier framework. Iranian officials are weighing how the agreement could shift the wider regional order. Observers flag that the twin tracks of defence talks and statecraft has put the kingdom at the core of Middle Eastern statecraft. Backchannel talks between Saudi and US envoys have continued for weeks, even as blows and counter blows have led the news cycle. A western official said the atomic talks was now closely linked to the normalisation file. Inside Saudi policy circles, the focus has remained on keeping the kingdom safe, rather than the optics of the talks. In parallel, Iranian officials is reportedly reviewing options if the nuclear arrangement goes ahead, with a veteran Iranian official warning of fresh pressure across neighbouring states.