Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz targets Iran in debut United Nations speech
- Monarch says Tehran exploited 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to ‘intensify its expansionist activities’ and ‘create terrorist networks’
- King Salman called for disarmament of Hezbollah and expressed support for US efforts to start talks between Israelis and Palestinians
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz took aim at Iran during his debut on Wednesday at the annual United Nations meeting of world leaders, calling for a comprehensive solution to contain Riyadh’s regional rival and stop it from getting weapons of mass destruction.
He said Iran has exploited a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers “to intensify its expansionist activities, create its terrorist networks, and use terrorism”, adding that this had produced nothing but “chaos, extremism, and sectarianism”.
“A comprehensive solution and a firm international position are required,” he told the 193-member General Assembly in a video statement, pre-recorded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The United States quit the Iran nuclear pact in 2018, with President Donald Trump dubbing it the “worst deal ever”. Washington has since imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran and asserts that all countries also have to reinstate UN sanctions in an attempt to push the Islamic republic to negotiate a new deal.
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US-Iran tension: Where does China stand?
French President Emmanuel Macron told the UN on Tuesday that Washington’s sanctions campaign against Iran had failed.