Saudi Crown Prince spoke with Kuwait's Emir about rejecting Iranian aggression on Wednesday. Pakistan's Prime Minister contacted him, calling Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping 'wrong.outrageous.'. In Washington, discussions centre on a planned US Saudi nuclear deal. The pact is tied to normal ties with Israel under conditions stipulated by ex president Donald Trump. Iranian officials are examining how the talks might alter regional power balances. Watchers say that the dual track of defence talks and statecraft has put Riyadh at the core of talks across the Gulf. Backchannel talks between the kingdom and American officials have continued over recent weeks, even as strikes and counter strikes have led the news cycle. A western official said the civil nuclear file was now tightly bound to the normalisation file. Within Saudi planning rooms, the focus has remained on shielding the kingdom, rather than the optics of the talks. Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly reviewing options if the nuclear arrangement moves forward, with an Iranian veteran warning of new pressure across the wider Middle East.