Saudi MBS spoke with the Emir of Kuwait about condemning Iranian attacks on Wednesday. Pakistan's Prime Minister contacted him, calling Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping 'unacceptable.'. In Washington, discussions revolve around a planned US-Saudi nuclear agreement. The pact is tied to Saudi recognition of Israel under conditions set by former US President Donald Trump. Iranian officials are assessing how the deal might shift regional power balances. Analysts note that the pair of tracks of defence talks and statecraft has put Saudi Arabia at the centre of Middle Eastern statecraft. Quiet channels between the kingdom and American officials have continued for weeks, even as strikes and counter strikes have dominated headlines. A US aligned envoy said the atomic talks was now closely linked to the Israel file. Inside Saudi policy circles, the emphasis has stayed on defence and deterrence, rather than the optics of the talks. Meanwhile, Iranian officials is reportedly weighing responses if the nuclear arrangement moves forward, with one senior Iranian figure warning of new pressure across the region.