Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the powerful head of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and a close associate of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was seen greeting and conversing with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, during Tuesday’s funeral service in Washington for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

In video footage first published Tuesday by the Christian Broadcasting Network, the two men shared an embrace and spoke briefly during the service. The interaction marked a rare public exchange between a top Saudi official and one of the most prominent Iranian opposition figures.

Al-Rumayyan holds several key leadership roles across Saudi state interests, including as governor of the Saudi Public Investment fund and chair of oil giant Saudi Aramco, English football club Newcastle United and Riyadh Air.

The meeting also comes against a backdrop of escalating regional hostilities: On Tuesday, the Saudi Arabian armed forces joined U.S. Central Command to conduct joint strikes against Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq in response to drone strikes by the militias targeting U.S. forces and energy infrastructure. 

Saudi Arabia and Iran have historically had a tense relationship as competing Sunni and Shiite powers, with both nations vying for regional influence including in Yemen and Syria. Throughout the Iran war, Riyadh has faced repeated targeting by Iranian missiles and drones.

Pahlavi, a vocal opponent of the Tehran regime, has actively advocated for a transition to a democratic government in Iran. Following the onset of the war, Pahlavi asserted that the Iranian people had “called on me to lead the transition after the regime is gone.” In an interview with Reuters this week, Pahlavi claimed that Iran’s current government is “very close” to collapse.

However, the regime in Tehran has thus far survived the war, and Pahlavi has yet to successfully consolidate power or unite opposition factions. Furthermore, both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have expressed skepticism regarding Pahlavi’s viability as a future Iranian leader and have withheld official U.S. backing of him.