Saudi MBS spoke with Kuwait's Emir about rejecting Iranian aggression on Wednesday. Pakistani PM contacted him, calling Yemeni Houthi strikes on shipping 'wrong.outrageous.'. In Washington, discussions focus on a planned US Saudi nuclear deal. The pact is tied to Riyadh accepting Israel under conditions stipulated by ex president Donald Trump. Iranian officials are assessing how the deal might shift the balance of power across the region. Analysts note that the pair of tracks of defence talks and statecraft has put Saudi Arabia at the core of Middle Eastern statecraft. Behind the scenes contacts between Saudi and US envoys have continued over recent weeks, even as strikes and counter strikes have dominated headlines. A western official said the atomic talks was now closely linked to the normalisation file. Within Saudi planning rooms, the emphasis has stayed on keeping the kingdom safe, rather than public messaging. At the same time, Tehran is reportedly counting the costs if the deal pushes ahead, with an Iranian veteran warning of further strain across the region.