FOR months Iran’s allies have battered(重创；连续打击) Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones. They have damaged its most important oil pipeline and killed at least 17 people at Riyadh’s airport, which remains largely out of service(停运；无法使用). It raised a few eyebrows, then, when Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi defence minister, flew to Tehran on October 26th for a visit meant to “encourage dialogue”.(于是，当沙特国防大臣哈立德·本·萨勒曼于10月26日飞往德黑兰进行一场旨在“鼓励对话”的访问时，不少人感到意外。) Grinning, the brother of the Saudi crown prince even posed(摆姿势（拍照）) for photos with Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s top security official.
数月来，伊朗的盟友用导弹和无人机重创沙特阿拉伯。它们破坏了沙特最重要的输油管道，并在利雅得机场造成至少17人死亡，该机场至今基本停运。因此，当沙特国防大臣哈立德·本·萨勒曼于10月26日飞往德黑兰，进行一场旨在“鼓励对话”的访问时，不少人感到意外。这位沙特王储的兄弟甚至面带笑容，与伊朗最高安全官员穆赫辛·雷扎伊合影留念。
The meeting was a surprise; even Saudi state media seemed unprepared. Both sides scrambled(争相；仓促行动) to spin(（舆论）解读；带倾向性地引导) it. Iranian officials saw a demonstration of their strength: a top Saudi royal arriving like a supplicant(恳求者；乞求者). One hardline(强硬派的) MP said a “helpless” kingdom had to “beg” for mediation(调解；斡旋) with the Houthis(也门胡塞武装，伊朗支持的什叶派民兵组织), the Iran-backed militia in Yemen that has done much of the damage.
这次会面令人意外，就连沙特官方媒体似乎也措手不及。双方都争相解读此事。伊朗官员将其视为自身实力的展示：一位沙特高级王室成员像恳求者一样前来。一名强硬派议员称，这个“无助”的王国不得不“乞求”与胡塞武装进行调解——胡塞武装是伊朗支持的也门民兵组织，造成了大部分破坏。
Prince Khalid did not travel alone, though. He was joined in Tehran by the Pakistani army chief and the head of Turkish intelligence. Both countries are fellow members of the Mecca pact(协议；条约), a mutual-defence agreement signed in Saudi Arabia in August. The Saudis cast the summit as a show of deterrence, in which three big Muslim powers jointly delivered a warning to an Iran that stood alone.(沙特将此次峰会描绘为一次威慑展示：三大穆斯林强国联合向孤立的伊朗发出警告。)
不过，哈立德亲王并非独自前往。巴基斯坦陆军参谋长和土耳其情报部门负责人也在德黑兰与他汇合。两国都是《麦加 pact》的成员国，该共同防御协议于今年8月在沙特签署。沙特将此次峰会描绘为一次威慑展示：三大穆斯林强国联合向孤立的伊朗发出警告。