Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has warned that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, the Kingdom will pursue a similar course of action.
If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, “we have to get one,” the Saudi leader, commonly referred to as MBS, told Fox News in an interview aired on Wednesday.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
Ties between Riyadh and Tehran have improved following an agreement in March, brokered by China, to reestablish diplomatic relations between the two countries after seven years of no formal ties.
MBS said that Iran was treating the reconciliation efforts with Saudi Arabia with a sense of seriousness.
Discussing efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, MBS expressed optimism about the progress being made, saying: “Every day we get closer.”
He denied that US-brokered talks with Israel had been suspended.
Addressing the significance of the Palestinian issue in the context of normalization with Israel, MBS said: “For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part.”
“We got to see where we go. We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, get Israel as a player in the Middle East,” he added, speaking in English.
The Biden administration has been actively pursuing a diplomatic breakthrough between Saudi Arabia and Israel, akin to the Abraham Accords – a series of normalization agreements brokered by the US in 2020 between Israel and four Arab states during the Trump administration.
In exchange for any agreement, Saudi Arabia has reiterated its demand for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and other concessions from Israel for the Palestinians. Additionally, it has been reported that Saudi Arabia is seeking increased security commitments from the US as well as assistance in developing its civilian nuclear program.