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Foreign Minister Adel al-Zubayr has hinted that Saudi Arabia might possess nuclear weapons to counter the influence of regional rival Iran. In a recent interview with the German news agency DPA, he said that Riyadh has the right to keep nuclear weapons if it cannot prevent Iran from doing so. “Surely that is an option,” said the Saudi minister. Qatar-based Al Jazeera reports.
Iran has been trying to guarantee the use of nuclear energy for decades. In 2015, Tehran signed a historic nuclear deal with six world powers. Under the deal, Iran promised to refrain from making bombs in exchange for lifting international sanctions. But in 2016, President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal.
The Trump administration wants to end Iran’s regional intervention. And the Trump administration has begun reimposing sanctions to force Tehran to sign a new agreement to implement that goal. But Iran has refused to give in to the pressure. Even then, Saudi Arabia supports Washington’s move.
“We believe that the Iranians are responding only to pressure,” said Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Zubayr. “If Iran becomes a nuclear power, more countries will follow suit,” he said. “And Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it will do everything possible to protect its people and the region,” al-Zubayr said.
“We have to see,” said Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, when asked what he thought of any change on the Iran issue after newly elected US President Joe Biden took office in January.
Joe Biden has already promised to withdraw the United States from the nuclear deal. But he said he would like to put pressure on Tehran, among other things, on Iran’s regional activities and the missile program.
Last week, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear and ballistic missile program. He called on the international community to take a decisive position against him. In response to the Saudi king’s remarks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called on the Saudi monarchy to refrain from spreading baseless accusations and hatred.
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