Adel al-Jubeir: The International Community Must Support New Sanctions Against Iran

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, stated that his country supports Donald Trump's position regarding Iran. On October 14, Mr. Trump announced a new U.S. strategy towards Iran, stating that he could not certify Tehran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This comes despite the International Atomic Energy Agency and European powers affirming Iran's compliance. According to Reuters, al-Jubeir said on Tuesday, October 24, at a conference in London that the nuclear agreement between six world powers and Iran suffers from weaknesses and that he agrees with the Trump administration's assessment that Iran is destabilizing the Middle East and aiding militia organizations. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni-led government, has long been a rival of Iran, which has a Shia majority, and both countries have participated in proxy wars against each other in the Middle East. The Saudi Foreign Minister added that Iran's behavior is 'unacceptable and will have consequences for the Iranians. This is something that President Trump has emphasized, and we support it.' Following the failure to certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, the U.S. Congress has until mid-December to take a position on the nuclear agreement. Congress may reinstate previous nuclear sanctions that were lifted as a result of the JCPOA. Al-Jubeir welcomed the imposition of new sanctions against Iran, stating that delays could mean that by the time the sanctions take effect, Iran could have acquired 'a number' of nuclear bombs. He emphasized, 'It is essential that the international community supports these (sanctions) to send a strong message to Iran that your malicious behavior and activities will have consequences.' The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stated that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and that it is not seeking to build nuclear weapons. Riyadh, which recently hosted Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, and Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is also opposed to Iran's presence in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, accusing Tehran of supporting militia groups to expand its influence in the Middle East. King Salman of Saudi Arabia stated during his visit to Russia on October 5 that 'Iran must stop interfering in Middle Eastern countries.' Diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been severed since January 2016 following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and the burning of the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Since then, the two countries have engaged in a fierce war of words against each other.