RIYADH: At meetings in Vienna, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman emphasized the need for a robust nuclear agreement between Tehran and Western powers, saying the kingdom expects to continue “serious discussions” with Iran to obtain an agreement that is agreeable to both countries.
His comments to the Atlantic magazine were reported on Thursday by official media in Saudi Arabia, and he claimed direct negotiations with Iran might help bring the region’s Sunni and Shia countries to a “positive condition” and “mark a bright future.”
The Saudi state news agency quoted him as adding, “Iran is a neighbour forever, we cannot get rid of them, and they cannot get rid of us,” he said.
US-Iran discussions in Vienna are moving closer to restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement, which limited Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, he said.
Iran’s ballistic missile development and network of proxies in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is engaged in a costly war, were regarded as flaws in the agreement by Riyadh and its Gulf allies. He said, “We don’t want a weak nuclear agreement because the consequence will be the same” if it were to go through.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, two of Riyadh’s closest friends in the Gulf, formed a new regional alliance with Israel in 2020 in response to Iran’s growing influence.
According to Prince Mohammed, if the Palestinian-Israeli issue is settled, Israel may become a “possible friend” of Saudi Arabia.”In our view, Israel is not a foe, but rather an ally with which we may collaborate on a variety of mutually beneficial endeavours.” However, he was quoted by the state news agency as adding that it should resolve its issues with the Palestinians.
On President Biden
If Joe Biden misinterpreted something about him, the Saudi crown prince said he didn’t care since Biden should be concentrating on America’s interests.
As a result of Riyadh’s human rights record and the murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, the long-standing strategic cooperation between Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, and Washington has been put under strain since Biden assumed office in January 2021.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed, has warned that Riyadh may opt to cut its investments in the US. He told Biden to “consider about the interests of the United States.” He stated that in the United States, “we do not have the authority to lecture you. It should be the same when it comes to the opposite way around”.
The administration of Vice President Joe Biden published a US intelligence dossier claiming that the crown prince was responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which Prince Mohammed rejects. When the crown prince was accused of the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he declared that he felt his own rights had been infringed by the claims against him.”Human rights law was not applied to me, and I feel that way,” Innocent until proven guilty is stated in Article XI of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to him.
According to him, a constitutional monarchy is not possible in Saudi Arabia. He described Saudi Arabia as a “pure monarchy.”
Prince Mohammed stated that Riyadh’s goal was to maintain and deepen its “long, historic” connection with the United States. Saudi investments in the United States totalled $800 billion, according to the speaker. It’s possible to increase as well as decrease one’s interests, as the saying goes.
Works at The Truth International Magazine. My area of interest includes international relations, peace & conflict studies, qualitative & quantitative research in social sciences, and world politics. Reach@ [email protected]
