Saudi Arabia has expressed openness to mediating between the Trump administration and Iran in the efforts to negotiate a new agreement aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the kingdom is increasingly concerned that Iran may accelerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons, especially since its regional proxies have been significantly weakened. Leveraging its close ties with President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia hopes to serve as a diplomatic bridge between Iran and the White House.

While it remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia has formally proposed mediation, the move highlights Riyadh’s ambition to build upon its improved ties with Iran and secure a role in shaping any potential new agreement.

The US State Department and the Saudi foreign ministry declined to comment when approached by CNN, while Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York stated it had no comment.

Iran has expanded its nuclear activities since 2019, following the decision by Trump, in his first term in office, to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers.

In its latest step to advance its nuclear program, Iran recently informed the IAEA of its intention to "significantly increase" its production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent.

Trump, whose second term as President began last month, has reaffirmed his “maximum pressure” approach against Iran which he used in his first term, and recently imposed financial sanctions on individuals and entities accused of facilitating the shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil to China.

At the same time, Trump has also said in recent days that he would rather reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear program than have Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Despite Trump’s comments, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has cautioned the Iranian government against engaging in talks with Washington, describing such a move as “reckless.”

During the negotiations between Iran and world powers on the 2015 nuclear deal, Saudi Arabia and other major Sunni states expressed concern over a deal which would allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons – a position which placed them very close to Israel’s position on the matter.

Ultimately, however, Saudi Arabia's government announced that it welcomed the deal.

Iran and Saudi Arabia were longtime regional rivals and Saudi Arabia broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.

However, the two countries agreed to normalize relations in 2023 as part of a China-brokered deal.

Saudi officials view the agreement as a major success, citing the cessation of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and the kingdom’s avoidance of involvement in last year’s tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran.

According to CNN, Saudi officials perceive the current regional landscape as an opportunity to reduce tensions with Iran and improve diplomatic ties. They insist that Riyadh has no desire to be drawn into any US or Israeli confrontation with Iran.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia is wary of a scenario where a diplomatically isolated Iran aggressively pursues nuclear weapons. Officials in Riyadh see a new nuclear deal as a potential safeguard against such an outcome.