DUBAI – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday that the kingdom was optimistic that it would have “excellent relations” with President Joe Biden’s new government and that it would continue to talk to Washington about the nuclear deal with Iran.
“I am optimistic. Saudi Arabia has built solid, historic relations where it has worked with various governments. We will continue to do the same with President Biden,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said in an interview with Arabiya TV.
Biden pledged on the election campaign to reevaluate ties with Saudi Arabia, a state he described in 2019 as a ‘pariah’.
Biden has said he will take a firmer stance on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the devastating Yemeni war.
Prince Faisal has said Riyadh will continue to consult with Washington on the Iran nuclear deal.
In 2018, the United States withdrew the 2015 agreement between major powers and Iran, under which Iran withdrew its nuclear program in exchange for easing economic sanctions.
“I believe the consultations are actually about reaching a solid and strong agreement that takes into account Iran’s failure to comply … with strong monitoring factors to ensure the implementation of the agreement,” Prince Faisal said.
Biden said that if Tehran resumed strict compliance with the agreement, Washington would do the same.
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Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, including the United Arab Emirates, are concerned about Iran’s ballistic missiles and regional network of proxies, support Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Tehran and welcome his decision to end the nuclear deal and reintroduce sanctions against Iran. set.
This time, they say they should be included in any possible negotiations between the Biden government and Iran over a new nuclear deal, to ensure that it addresses Iran’s missile capability and ‘malicious activity’.
The Saudi minister reiterated the kingdom’s position that a peace agreement with Israel is subject to the implementation of the Arab peace initiative.