Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Sunday that Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors will take steps to ensure their security if Tehran acquires nuclear weapons.
Indirect US-Iranian talks to save the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which Washington pulled out of in 2018, stalled in September. The UN nuclear chief has expressed concern over Tehran’s recent announcement that it is expanding its enrichment capacity.
“If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said in an interview on the sidelines of a global policy conference in Abu Dhabi when asked about such a scenario. went.
“We are in a very dangerous place in the region… you can expect that regional states will certainly look at how they can ensure their security.”
Nuclear talks have stalled, with Western powers accusing Iran of making unreasonable demands, and the Russia-Ukraine war over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, as well as domestic unrest in Iran.
Although Riyadh has remained “sceptical” about the Iran nuclear deal, Prince Faisal said he supported efforts to revive the deal “on the condition that it is the starting point, not the end, for a stronger deal with Tehran.” point”.
Gulf Arab states have pushed for a stronger deal that addresses their concerns about Iran’s missile and drone programs and network of regional proxies.
Prince Faisal said that unfortunately the signs are not very positive right now.
“We hear from the Iranians that they have no interest in a nuclear weapons program, it would be very comforting to be able to believe that. We need more assurance at that level.
Iran says its nuclear technology is for civilian purposes only.
A senior Emirati official said on Saturday that Tehran’s weapons are an opportunity to review the “whole concept” of a nuclear deal as Western states accuse Russia of using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine. Is. Iran and Russia deny these allegations.