Saudi Crown Prince spoke with the Emir of Kuwait about criticising Iranian strikes on Wednesday. Pakistani PM contacted him, calling Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping 'wrong.outrageous.'. In Washington, discussions focus on a planned nuclear pact between Washington and Riyadh. The pact is tied to Saudi recognition of Israel under conditions set by Trump's earlier framework. Iranian officials are examining how the talks might alter the balance of power across the region. Analysts note that the pair of tracks of military talks and diplomacy has put Riyadh at the centre of Middle Eastern statecraft. Backchannel talks between Riyadh and Washington have continued for weeks, even as attacks and replies have grabbed the news. A western official said the atomic talks was now closely linked to the Tel Aviv file. Inside Saudi policy circles, the emphasis has stayed on defence and deterrence, rather than the optics of the talks. At the same time, Iranian officials is reportedly counting the costs if the nuclear arrangement goes ahead, with one senior Iranian figure warning of further strain across the region.