Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran, declared on Sunday during a U.S. television broadcast that efforts to repair Israeli relations with Gulf Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, “will see no success”.

Raisi also said that Iran hasn’t indicated that it doesn’t want nuclear inspectors from the UN’s nuclear watchdog in the nation in an interview with CNN.

Raisi has said Iran has no issue with the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s inspection of its nuclear sites, days after Tehran barred multiple inspectors assigned to the country.

Israel has moved closer to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco following a U.S.-driven diplomatic initiative in 2020 which pushed for normalization of relations.

Establishing ties with Saudi Arabia – home to some of Islam’s holiest sites – would be the grand prize for Israel and change the geopolitics of the Middle East.

Commenting on Iran’s nuclear programme, Raisi said:

“We have announced time and time again that the use of nuclear weapons, the use of weapons of mass destruction in general, do not have a place. Why? Because we don’t believe in it, nor do we have a need for it.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran hasn’t said we do not wish any inspectors to be here.”