Saudis accuse the west of deceit over Iran accord

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iran nuclear bombSaudi Arabia claims they were kept in the dark by Western allies over Iran nuclear deal and says it will strike out on its own.

A senior advisor to the Saudi royal family has accused its Western allies of deceiving the oil rich kingdom in striking the nuclear accord with Iran and said Riyadh would follow an independent foreign policy.

Nawaf Obaid told a think tank meeting in London that Saudi Arabia was determined to pursue its own foreign and policy goals. Having in the past been reactive to events, the leading Sunni Muslim nation was determined to be pro-active in future.

Mr Obaid said that while Saudi Arabia knew that the US was talking directly to Iran through a channel in the Gulf state of Oman, Washington had not directly briefed its ally.

“We were lied to, things were hidden from us,” he said. “The problem is not with the deal struck in Geneva but how it was done.”

In a statement the Saudi government gave a cautious welcome to the Geneva nuclear deal. It said “good intentions” could lead to a comprehensive agreement on Tehran’s atomic programme. “This agreement could be a first step towards a comprehensive solution for Iran’s nuclear programme, if there are good intentions,” the Saudi government said

But it warned that a comprehensive solution should lead to the “removal of all weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear, from the Middle East and the Gulf”.

A fellow of Harvard University’s Belfer Centre and adviser to Prince Mohammad, the Saudi ambassador to London, Mr Obaid said Saudi Arabia would continue to resist Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war. In particular he pointed to Iranian Revolutionary Guards involvement in battles in Syria on behalf of the regime.

“[Saudi Arabia] will be there to stop them wherever they are in Arab countries,” he said. “We cannot accept Revolutionary Guards running round Homs.”

Saudi Arabia’s fury at the diplomatic detente with Iran is commonly held with Israel. While both countries are in the same posion Saudi Arabia disavows any suggestion of an open alliance. Until the Palestinians have a state, Saudi Arabia will not work with Israel.

Saudi Arabia is increasingly at odds with Washington over Syria. It rejected a seat on the UN Security Council in protest at the body’s failure to “save” Syria.

Qatar is the latest Gulf Arab state to welcome the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, calling it a step toward greater stability in the region.

Saudi Arabia, has previously expressed unease about US overtures to Iran. The dialogue helped pushed along efforts by Washington and others to strike a deal with Iran seeking to ease Western concerns that Tehran could move toward nuclear weapons.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the deal is an “important step toward safeguarding peace and stability in the region”.

Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have issued similar statements.

U.S. Unfreezes $8 Billion in Iranian Assets

The United States released $8 billion in frozen assets to Iran on Sunday in a move meant to ensure Tehran’s compliance with a nuclear pact signed over the weekend, according to top Iranian officials.

Iranian government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht confirmed on Monday morning that the U.S. government had unfrozen $8 billion in assets that had been previously blocked by the Obama administration.

“The agreement will open a new path towards Iran,” Alinaqi Khamoushi, the former head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce said on Sunday as he announced the release by the United States of some $8 billion in assets, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The Guardian/ Free Beacon

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26 responses to “Saudis accuse the west of deceit over Iran accord”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar

    “The problem is not with the deal struck in Geneva but how it was done.”
    Why?? Are you part of the ‘Nuclear Community’ too??? Were the seats in Geneva too hard??

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar

    “The problem is not with the deal struck in Geneva but how it was done.”
    Why?? Are you part of the ‘Nuclear Community’ too??? Were the seats in Geneva too hard??

  3. The real lebanese Avatar
    The real lebanese

    The US is trying to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons. Is that bad?

    1. Irans Nuke plant in Bushar was made by USA in the first place and then the Europe and Russia further helped them in developing. Well the sunni world knew the secret deal of Iran and USA but both Iran and USA play enemy game. But at this moment the sunni world dumped the Iranian Al-Majoos when they are exposed in Syria. From now on the Arabs will beat the crap out of Iranian meddling in every Arab countries.

      1. Maborlz Ez-Hari Avatar
        Maborlz Ez-Hari

        Iran no.1, Russia no.1, Saudi Arabia tfouhh. The Iron Sheik is back.

      2. Bushire was originally in British hands at one time.

      3. IraniAngel Avatar

        arabs are too busy beating each other.. just look at lebanon, syria, iraq, egypt, libya.

        1. Right you are!! you dont have to look just read the comments…depressing.

          1. IraniAngel Avatar

            it IS depressing, but israel probably disagrees

  4. The real lebanese Avatar
    The real lebanese

    The US is trying to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons. Is that bad?

    1. Irans Nuke plant in Bushar was made by USA in the first place and then the Europe and Russia further helped them in developing. Well the sunni world knew the secret deal of Iran and USA but both Iran and USA play enemy game. But at this moment the sunni world dumped the Iranian Al-Majoos when they are exposed in Syria. From now on the Arabs will beat the crap out of Iranian meddling in every Arab countries.

      1. Maborlz Ez-Hari Avatar
        Maborlz Ez-Hari

        Iran no.1, Russia no.1, Saudi Arabia tfouhh. The Iron Sheik is back.

      2. Bushire was originally in British hands at one time.

      3. IraniAngel Avatar

        arabs are too busy beating each other.. just look at lebanon, syria, iraq, egypt, libiya.

        1. Right you are!! you dont have to look just read the comments…depressing.

          1. IraniAngel Avatar

            it IS depressing, but israel probably disagrees

  5. Bravo Saudi Arabia for showing some guts. This US Iran open alliance will have a positive repercussion in the sunni world. We will soon see how Iran and Israel openly collaborate with each other. Just another year we will see Iran Israel open alliance. Iran and Israel are secretly working hand in hand for decades. This is the reason Israel protected the Iranian Nuke plant and destroy the Nuke plant of Saddam Hussain.

    1. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
      Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

      Israel says the same thing and you all have a go. Saudi says it and you applaud. Only an insane or incredibly ignorant, self deluded person would think that Israel and Iran are collaborating. Israel invaded Lebanon for two soldiers, Israel invaded Gaza for one soldier. Israel trades many murderers for one soldier’s life. Israel wouldn’t collaborate with a regime that sponsors an organization that shoots rockets at its own people.

  6. Bravo Saudi Arabia for showing some guts. This US Iran open alliance will have a positive repercussion in the sunni world. We will soon see how Iran and Israel openly collaborate with each other. Just another year we will see Iran Israel open alliance. Iran and Israel are secretly working hand in hand for decades. This is the reason Israel protected the Iranian Nuke plant and destroy the Nuke plant of Saddam Hussain.

    1. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
      Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

      Israel says the same thing and you all have a go. Saudi says it and you applaud. Only an insane or incredibly ignorant, self deluded person would think that Israel and Iran are collaborating. Israel invaded Lebanon for two soldiers, Israel invaded Gaza for one soldier. Israel trades many murderers for one soldier’s life. Israel wouldn’t collaborate with a regime that sponsors an organization that shoots rockets at its own people.

  7. The real lebanese Avatar
    The real lebanese

    Watch all of war games prophecies come true.

    1. Peaceforleb Avatar
      Peaceforleb

      You can call it prophecies while I will keep calling it crap.

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar

        We could say: Historically Crapulous Philosophies – unproven to date, as they are. 😉
        (Unfortunately, some keep attempting to make them come true.)
        I must admit to enjoying the ‘reads’ on occasion … seeking to figure out how human thought processes were a couple of millennia ago (let alone a century) is an interesting pastime … entertaining at least in the ones I can smile at and say ‘Wow’ after.
        I often think, also, there may well be more than we know about breathing in the smoke from camel-dung fires for a lifetime.
        I have not found the research on it, however … might have been burned by the Romans.

  8. The real lebanese Avatar
    The real lebanese

    Watch all of war games prophecies come true.

    1. Peaceforleb Avatar
      Peaceforleb

      You can call it prophecies while I will keep calling it crap.

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar

        We could say: Historically Crapulous Philosophies – unproven to date, as they are. 😉
        (Unfortunately, some keep attempting to make them come true.)

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