Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan said that his country would never obstruct Arab countries’ efforts to normalize relations with Israel.
However Farhan claimed during recent talks held behind closed doors with officials from the European Union in Brussels that Riyadh would join such efforts only following a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile the Saudi official reiterated his country’s position on Iran accusing it of supporting terror groups and posing a major threat to the region’s stability through its missile and nuclear programs.
He said that Saud Arabia would continue to confront what he labeled as Iran’s destabilization of the regional stability.
In this regard US secretary of state Mike Pompeo thanked Saudi Arabia for backing recent diplomatic accords between Israel and two Gulf countries and urged Riyadh to establish its own ties with Israel.
“We hope Saudi Arabia will consider normalizing its relationships as well and we want to thank them for the assistance they’ve had in the success of the Abraham Accords so far” Pompeo said. “We hope too that the kingdom will encourage the Palestinian side to return to dialogue and negotiation with Israel.”
Pompeo made his remarks in Washington at a joint appearance with the Saudi foreign minister.
