Saudi Arabia's defence minister delivered a blunt message to Iranian leaders in Tehran last month to take US President Donald Trump's offer to negotiate a nuclear agreement seriously or risk war with Israel.

Concerned about regional instability, 89-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz sent his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, to deliver the message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two Gulf sources and two Iranian officials.

The closed-door meeting took place on April 17 at the presidential compound in Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended, the sources said.

Prince Khalid, formerly Saudi ambassador to Washington during Trump’s first term, told Iranian officials that Trump had little patience for prolonged talks. The visit followed Trump’s unexpected announcement, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that direct US-Iran negotiations had begun to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

While media outlets covered Prince Khalid's visit, they did not disclose the contents of King Salman’s warning. In the meeting, Prince Khalid emphasised that Trump’s team aimed to reach a deal quickly, warning that the diplomatic window was closing fast.

He urged Iran to accept an agreement with the US rather than risk an Israeli military strike if talks collapsed. He said the region, already destabilised by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, could not handle further escalation, according to two Gulf sources and a senior foreign diplomat.

During Trump’s recent Gulf visit, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE reportedly told him they opposed a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Reuters could not confirm how Iran’s leadership responded to the Saudi warning. However, according to the four sources, President Pezeshkian said Iran sought a deal that would ease economic pressure by lifting Western sanctions.

Iranian officials expressed concern over the Trump administration’s shifting negotiation demands, which had ranged from allowing limited uranium enrichment to insisting on a full dismantling of the program. Trump also threatened military action if diplomacy failed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

One Iranian source said Pezeshkian made clear Iran wanted a deal but would not abandon its enrichment program just to meet Trump’s demands.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Israel did not respond to requests for comment. The White House declined to confirm whether it knew about the Saudi message. However, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “President Trump has made it clear: make a deal, or face grave consequences, and the whole world is clearly taking him seriously, as they should.”

Iran, while denying it seeks nuclear weapons, has enriched uranium beyond peaceful levels, blocked international inspectors, and expanded its missile program. Talks between Washington and Tehran have gone through five rounds, but key issues like enrichment remain unresolved.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US is preparing a “term sheet” for an interim agreement that includes a total ban on enrichment. A senior US official warned, “If they don’t accept these terms, it’s not going to be a good day for the Iranians.”

Trump recently said both sides were “very close to a solution” and urged Netanyahu not to disrupt the talks.