Iran expresses concern over possible Israeli-Saudi normalization, citing regional security

The Iranian government expressed its concerns about a potential normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with the involvement of the United States, stating it would impact the security in the Middle East region and not serve the Palestinian cause.

During a weekly press briefing, Naser Kanani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, “We believe that any steps taken by Islamic governments towards recognizing the Zionist regime (Israel) are not in the interest of the nation and the Palestinian cause, nor do they contribute to peace, stability, or security in the region.”

This statement was reported by the Fars news agency.

The remarks came in response to a question about the possible rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, following comments by U.S. President Joe Biden, who mentioned last week that an agreement might be on the horizon after discussions between his National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and Saudi officials in Jeddah.

Kanani emphasized, “Engaging with the Zionist regime does not serve the Palestinian cause, and any steps towards normalization would lead to further empowerment of this regime to commit crimes against the Palestinian nation.”

He further pointed out that the “priority” of successive U.S. administrations, both Republican and Democrat, has been to “strengthen and stabilize” Israel’s position in the region.

It’s worth noting that several Arab countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, have already normalized their relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, facilitated by the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump.

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