King Salman Calls for Confronting Iran's Nuclear Program; Silence on Khashoggi's Murder

On Monday, November 19, Saudi King Salman, in his annual speech, urged the international community to put an end to Iran's nuclear program and emphasized Riyadh's support for UN efforts to end the war in Yemen. This speech, delivered at the country's advisory council known as the 'Shura Council', marks his first public comment since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The killing of this journalist sparked outrage in many countries and jeopardized relations with the West. Last week, Saudi judges announced their intention to issue death sentences for five suspects linked to the journalist's murder. King Salman, whose speech was broadcast live on television, praised the judges and the judiciary for 'performing their duties in the service of justice', but did not make a direct reference to the murder of the critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the current rulers of Saudi Arabia and a columnist for the Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. For two weeks, Saudi Arabia claimed ignorance about Khashoggi's fate, but later changed its narrative, first claiming he was killed in a 'physical altercation' inside the consulate, and eventually confirming that his murder was premeditated. The Washington Post, the newspaper where Jamal Khashoggi wrote, reported on Friday that the CIA concluded that the order for this murder was given by Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince. Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, called this report 'inaccurate' on Saturday, and the U.S. President has yet to provide a definitive opinion on the matter. King Salman condemned Iran's actions, a regional rival of Saudi Arabia, stating: 'The Iranian regime has always interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, has supported terrorism, and has caused chaos and destruction in many countries in the region.' He stated that 'the international community must put an end to Iran's nuclear program and stop its actions that threaten security and stability.' This position of the Saudi king aligns with the views of the Trump administration in the U.S. and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel regarding Iran's nuclear and missile programs and what they describe as Tehran's 'destabilization of the Middle East'. The U.S. President withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran on May 8 and reinstated suspended sanctions in mid-August and November, which was welcomed by Riyadh and Tel Aviv. In another part of his speech, King Salman stated that Saudi Arabia supports UN efforts to end the conflicts in Yemen. He expressed: 'Our involvement in Yemen was not an option but a duty to support the Yemeni people against the aggression of Iranian-backed militants.' Yemen is currently the scene of a war between Iranian-backed Houthis and the government of Mansour Hadi, which has the support of a Saudi-led Arab coalition. The Yemen war, which began three and a half years ago, has left over ten thousand dead and, according to the UN, has led to a 'humanitarian catastrophe' threatening the lives of millions. In recent years, Western countries have condemned Iran's role in supplying weapons to the Houthis while supporting Saudi Arabia and its allies in this war. However, since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, they have taken a critical stance towards Riyadh and even called for an end to the war in Yemen.