WASHINGTON
\nIn a major development, Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom was moving closer to normalising ties with Israel at a steady pace and warned of getting a nuclear weapon if Iran gets one.
\nIn an interview with Fox News, the Saudi crown prince also rejected the reports that Saudi Arabia had paused negotiations for ties normalisation.
\n\u201cEvery day we get closer, it seems it\u2019s for the first time real one serious. We get to see how it goes,\u201d he said, stressing the need to solve the \u201cvery important\u201d Palestinian issue.
\nThe interview comes as US President Joe Biden-led administration puts efforts into broker historic ties between the two regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Israel Washington\u2019s top Middle East allies.
\nThe normalisation talks are the centrepiece of complex negotiations that also include discussions of US security guarantees and civilian nuclear help that Riyadh has sought, as well as possible Israeli concessions to the Palestinians.
\n\u201cFor us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,\u201d MBS, Saudi Arabia\u2019s de facto ruler, said when asked what it would take to get a normalisation agreement. \u201cAnd we have a good negotiation strategy till now.\u201d
\n\u201cWe got to see where we go. We hope that will reach a place that will ease the life of the Palestinians and get Israel as a player in the Middle East,\u201d he said, speaking in English.
\nThe crown prince, also known as MBS, voiced concern about the possibility that Iran, a mutual adversary of Saudi Arabia and Israel that the US wants to contain, could obtain a nuclear weapon. Tehran has denied seeking a nuclear bomb.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s a bad move,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you use it, you got to have a big fight with the rest of the world.\u201d
\nAsked what would happen if Iran did get a nuclear bomb, MBS said: \u201cIf they get one, we have to get one, for security reasons and the balance of power in the Middle East. But we don\u2019t want to see that.\u201d
\nWhile US officials insist any breakthrough is far away and steep obstacles remain, they privately tout the potential benefits of a regional mega-deal.
\nThese include removing a possible flashpoint in the Arab-Israeli conflict, strengthening the bulwark against Iran and countering China\u2019s inroads in the Gulf. Biden would also score a foreign policy win as he seeks re-election in November 2024.
\nThe broadcast of the crown prince\u2019s pre-taped comments came on the same day as a long-waited meeting between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which they pledged to work together toward Israeli-Saudi normalisation, which could reshape the geopolitics of the Middle East.
\nBoth leaders also said Iran could not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
\nMBS issued the stark warning to Tehran despite the two countries having agreed in Chinese-brokered talks in March to restore relations after years of hostility.
\nBut he offered an olive branch to Iran, saying the two countries had made a \u201cgood start\u201d and he hoped it would continue.
\nFacing criticism from the US, MBS, whose country is the world\u2019s top oil exporter, also defended OPEC+\u2019s decision to cut oil output, saying it was based on market stability and not intended to help energy-dependent Russia in its war in Ukraine.
\nMBS, asked about Russia\u2019s military campaign, said the invasion of another country was \u201creally bad\u201d but he appeared to stick to his position of not taking sides in the war.
\nAmong the challenges the US faces in brokering a wide-ranging deal would be satisfying MBS\u2019 demands. He is reported to be seeking a treaty committing the US to defend the kingdom if attacked and also wants advanced weapons and assistance for a civilian nuclear programme.
\nFrom the Israelis, MBS is pushing for significant concessions to the Palestinians to keep alive prospects for statehood in the occupied territories, something Biden is also pushing for but which Netanyahu\u2019s far-right government has shown little willingness to grant. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON In a major development, Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom was moving closer to normalising ties with Israel at a steady pace and warned of getting a nuclear weapon if Iran gets one. In an interview with Fox News, the Saudi crown prince also rejected the reports that Saudi Arabia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":357438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-357420","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n