Saudi king points to Iran as top threat in policy speech
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Salman slammed rival Iran and hailed his country's efforts at combating the coronavirus and stabilizing oil supplies in an annual speech delivered early Thursday.
The speech, which outlined the country's policy priorities and achievements, was delivered virtually by the 82-year-old monarch to the advisory Shura Council in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On foreign policy, he stressed that threats from Iran remain a top concern. He accused Iran of supporting terrorism and fueling sectarianism in the region.
Although the king made no mention of it in his speech, another issue facing the kingdom next year will be its relationship with a new U.S. administration led by President-elect Joe Biden. The Saudi leadership has strongly favored President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure policy against rival Iran.
The king stressed the necessity of “finding a radical solution to ensure Iran does not acquire weapons of mass destruction.”
“Saudi Arabia affirms the danger of the Iranian regime’s regional project,” he said.
The kingdom is at war with Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen. The conflict has killed thousands and created the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
During his presidency, Trump blocked a Congressional effort to end U.S. military assistance in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen and defended the Saudi crown prince in the face of scathing criticism over the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in late 2018.
A full day after statements began pouring in from world leaders, the king and Crown Prince Mohammed congratulated Biden on his election win in separate cables late Sunday, noting the “deep historical relations” that exist between the two nations — even as...
