Riyadh warns Tehran: Accept US deal or face Israeli military action
Shafaq News/ Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister urged Tehran to accept US President Donald Trump's offer to resume nuclear negotiations, warning that failure to do so could provoke an Israeli military response, sources told Reuters.
Prince Khalid bin Salman delivered the message during a closed-door meeting on April 17 in Tehran with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, marking the most senior Saudi delegation to Iran in more than two decades.
According to sources, Prince Khalid emphasized that Trump is seeking a fast-track agreement, cautioning that a breakdown in diplomacy could trigger Israeli military action, further destabilizing a region already strained by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
In response, Iranian officials expressed willingness to negotiate to ease sanctions, but voiced concern over Washington's unpredictable approach—citing past shifts from accepting limited enrichment to demanding full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program.
A source revealed Pezeshkian's stance: while Iran seeks a resolution, it would not sacrifice its enrichment rights to meet US deadlines.
Meanwhile, Gulf officials said the Saudi envoy urged Iran to reconsider its regional strategy, particularly in light of Israeli operations that have weakened its allies—Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Syria's al-Assad regime.
'The Saudis want stability,' said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center. 'They're using diplomacy to protect their economic ambitions.'
Nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled despite five rounds of indirect negotiations. According to sources cited by Reuters, Tehran may consider halting enrichment in exchange for access to frozen assets and recognition of its civilian nuclear rights, but Iranian authorities publicly denied such a proposal.
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