US Declares 'Preventing Iran's Nuclear Weapons' Following Israel and Saudi Arabia

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed on the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, major foreign media reported on the 16th (local time).

Foreign media, citing Saudi state-run SPA news agency, reported that the U.S. and Saudi governments issued a joint statement on the same day with this content. In the statement, both governments emphasized the need to curb Iran's efforts to interfere in other countries' internal affairs, support terrorism through armed proxies, and destabilize regional security and stability.

The statement also included that U.S. President Joe Biden, who is visiting Saudi Arabia, affirmed that the U.S. will help Saudi Arabia acquire the necessary capabilities to protect its citizens and territory from external threats and will continue to support Saudi security and homeland defense. Both sides stressed the importance of ensuring that commercial vessels can freely navigate strategically important international routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has long been at odds with Shia Iran and severed diplomatic ties in 2016. They have effectively fought proxy wars in conflicts such as the Yemeni Civil War and the Syrian Civil War. In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with six countries?the U.S., France, the U.K., Russia, China, and Germany?to freeze or reduce its nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against it. However, in 2018, former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran has limited inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), increased uranium enrichment levels, and moved closer to developing nuclear weapons.

The U.S. had previously formalized a promise with Israel to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons before doing so with Saudi Arabia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.