Saudi Arabia will cooperate with Trump to ‘contain’ Iran: FM

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Kurdistan24) – The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday revealed his country was prepared to work with the new US President Donald Trump to “contain” Iran.

During a news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the Gulf state would cooperate with the US regarding a nuclear deal with Iran.

“[President Trump] has spoken about containing Iran and its ability to cause mischief, and making sure that Iran abides by the agreement that was signed,” Jubeir stated.

Upon taking office, President Trump vowed to renegotiate the agreement that lifted international sanctions on Iran last year.

Saudi Arabia, who was opposed to the deal brought forth by the former US administration, was quick to offer their backing to Trump over plans to dismantle the nuclear pact.

Meanwhile, Saudi remained optimistic a Trump presidency would lead to strengthened ties with the US.

“[President Trump] has made it his objective to rebuild traditional alliances or alliances with traditional American allies,” Jubeir said.

The Foreign Minister added his country would “welcome” any efforts to bolster international relations.

“We look forward to working with the Trump administration and we are very positive about the future of the US-Saudi relationship,” he concluded.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are currently fighting proxy wars in Syria and Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition continues to conduct rigorous air strikes since 2015.

During the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif expressed his country’s readiness to work with the Arab state to create “stability in the region.”

Editing by Ava Homa