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The Gulf countries must be asked before the United States restores a nuclear treaty with Iran, states Saudi Arabia, hinting that this would be the only route towards a sustainable agreement.
President-elect Joe Biden has indicated compliance to return the US to a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran if Iran conferred compliance with the terms of the accord. The nuclear contract, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was assigned during the presidency of Barack Obama, and Donald Trump removed from it in 2018.
Analysts say a return to the JCPOA would fascinate US allies in Europe but affect the Gulf states, who have criticised US engagement with Tehran.
“Primarily what we assume is that we are fully discussed, that our other regional friends and we are fully consulted in what goes on vis-a-vis the negotiations with Iran,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated.
Biden has intimated he will bring Iran’s US-allied Arab neighbours, such as Saudi Arabia, which views Iran as its archrival, into the process.
“The only way into entering an arrangement that is sustainable is through such discussion,” the Saudi foreign minister declared.
“I think we’ve observed, as a result of the after-effects of the JCPOA, that not including the regional nations results in a build-up of suspicion and failure of the effects of real concern and of real effect on regional security.”
Questioned whether the Biden government was now in touch about the aspect of a revived Iran deal, Prince Faisal stated there were no communications as yet, but that “we are available to engage with the Biden administration once they assume the position”.
“We are convinced that both an incoming Biden government and our other partners, including the Europeans, have fully contracted on to the requirement to have all the regional parties included in a decision,” he said.