Iran increases dominance in the MidEast, criticises Saudi Foreign Minister

Riyadh – Prince Faisal bin Farhat al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said that Iranian bullying in the Middle East has increased, So, this is affecting security in the region. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal cited the threat to maritime security, the arms preparedness of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Lebanon’s political stalemate. At the same time, the Saudi foreign minister clarified the country’s stand saying that Saudi Arabia will support the 2015 nuclear deal only if it completely prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Recently, a leading US security think tank held a virtual meeting of the Aspen Security Forum. Addressing the three-day conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal expressed concerns over security challenges in the Middle East. Prince Faisal said that the pro-Iranian group was behind the hijacking of the UAE’s fuel tanker and warned that the increasing Iranian bullying in the region was a threat to the security in the region.

‘Whether it is supplying weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen or trying to destabilise maritime traffic, Iran’s negative actions in the Middle East have intensified. The Saudi foreign minister blamed Iran for Lebanon’s political turmoil and economic miseries over the past several months. Allegations that Iran is responsible for attacks on Israeli and UAE ships have intensified. Speaking on occasion, the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed suspicion that Iran was behind the hijacking of the UAE’s cargo ship.

The Saudi Foreign Minister clarified Saudi Arabia‘s position on the ongoing nuclear deal between the Western countries and Iran. Prince Faisal pointed out that Saudi supports ongoing efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran. But the precondition for Saudi Arabia is that it will support the deal only if it permanently deters Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal said ‘Saudi is also ready to cooperate with Iran for stability in the Middle East. But before that, Iran must stop supplying weapons to terrorist organisations, armed groups and developing nuclear weapons.

Last year, the Saudi Foreign Minister backed the US-brokered Abraham agreement between Israel and the Arab countries. Prince Faisal said that the Abraham Agreement has made a significant contribution to enhancing cooperation in this area. Therefore, this agreement can be viewed positively. But the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed a hope that the deal would be used to resolve the Palestinian issue.

Meanwhile, just hours ago, Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as the Iranian President. Raisi is claimed to be a much greater extremist than former President Rouhani. Against this backdrop, the Saudi Foreign Minister appears to have conveyed a message to the international community about Iran’s actions through the Aspen meeting.