Saudi Arabia Calls for Confidence-Building Measures with Iran Amid Regional Tensions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Saudi Arabia‘s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, stated in an interview with Al Arabiya that he has no knowledge of the details concerning a cooperation fund with Iran. He highlighted that widespread mistrust persists due to Iran’s attacks against countries in the Persian Gulf region during past conflicts.
This comes amidst operations attributed to Iran targeting U.S. bases in regional countries, which are considered a response to the origin of aggression.
The Saudi Foreign Minister added that the Kingdom was initially pursuing economic cooperation with Iran following the Beijing agreement, but he believes there has been a regression since that time. He stressed that confidence-building measures are essential before any economic cooperation can be explored.
Furthermore, speaking at a conference in Vienna hosted by the European Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan indicated that the most critical aspect of the upcoming nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States concerns the oversight of Iran’s nuclear program.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s opposition to any new framework for managing the Strait of Hormuz outside the scope of international law, asserting that waterways must remain open to global navigation.
Separately, Quds Network reported, citing Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, that Israel is a part of the region and should therefore be included in regional dialogues. He noted that Palestine is also part of the region and its people should participate in these discussions, questioning whether Israelis would accept this, as positive affirmation could represent a step in the right direction.
