Saudi Arabia warned Iran to negotiate its nuclear deal with Trump or risk Israeli strike: Report

Saudi Arabia warned Iran to take US President Donald Trump’s offer to negotiate a nuclear agreement seriously or risk a war with Israel, reported Reuters.

The blunt message was delivered to Iranian officials during Saudi Arabia’s defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman’s visit to Tehran last month, according to the report citing two Gulf sources close to government circles and two Iranian officials.

Concerned over the possibility of further instability in the region, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz sent his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, with the warning at the closed-door meeting in Tehran on April 17. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were present at the talks, which took place in the presidential compound. While the meeting was reported, the content of King Salman’s was not revealed earlier.

Deal or risk of Israeli strike

According to the sources, Prince Khalid warned Iranian officials that the US president has little patience for the drawn-out negotiations and the window for diplomacy would close fast. The Saudi minister warned Iran that reaching a deal with the US was better than facing the possibility of an Israeli attack if the talks break down.

Saudi Arabia’s message came just a week after Trump announced direct talks with Tehran aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The US president’s confirmation was made in the presence of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Washington visit to seek support for attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

During the meeting, President Pezeshkian said that Iran wanted to secure a deal to ease economic pressure through the lifting of Western sanctions. However, he expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s “unpredictable” diplomatic approach. He noted Tehran’s refusal to the US’s demand to dismantle its uranium enrichment completely.

US-Iran talks

As of now, five rounds of negotiations have taken place between Washington and Tehran.

After the recent discussions in Rome, Iran said that it is open to compromises on its nuclear program amid talks with the United States, but uranium enrichment remains non-negotiable, Tehran's Foreign Ministry told CNN, suggesting Washington understands this position.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that the talks over Iran’s nuclear programme were “very good”, adding that there might be “good news” soon. On the other hand, Iran’s lead negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, stressed that the negotiations were “too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.”