King Salman urges Iran to junk its expansionist ideology

Iranian mourners attend the funeral of a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed in violent demonstrations that erupted across Iran last week. (AFP / ATTA KENARE)
Updated 24 November 2019
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King Salman urges Iran to junk its expansionist ideology

  • Saudi Arabia has suffered from the policies and practices of the Iranian regime and its proxies, king says
  • Kingdom also welcomed US decision to return Iran's Fordow nuclear facility to its sanctions list

RIYADH: Iran should abandon its expansionist ideology that has only “harmed” its own people, Saudi Arabia's King Salman said on Wednesday, following violent street protests in the Islamic republic.

A wave of demonstrations erupted in the sanctions-hit country on Friday after an announcement that petrol prices would be raised by as much as 200 percent with immediate effect.

“We hope the Iranian regime chooses the side of wisdom and realizes there is no way to overcome the international position that rejects its practices, without abandoning its expansionist and destructive thinking that has harmed its own people,” the king told the consultative Shoura Council.

“The kingdom has suffered from the policies and practices of the Iranian regime and its proxies,” King Salman said, quoted by the foreign ministry, reiterating that Riyadh does not seek war but is “ready to defend its people.”




A satellite image from Sept. 15, 2017, of the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran. (Google Earth)

Saudi Arabia has welcomed Washington's decision to return the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran to the sanctions list. 

Washington said on Monday that it will no longer waive sanctions related to Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant after Tehran resumed uranium enrichment at the underground site. 

“The right amount of uranium enrichment for the world’s largest state sponsor of terror is zero ... There is no legitimate reason for Iran to resume enrichment at this previously clandestine site,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters earlier this week.

 

 

 

 

 


Hellenic parliament official in Athens praises Kingdom’s regional, global role

Updated 7 sec ago
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Hellenic parliament official in Athens praises Kingdom’s regional, global role

  • Meeting with Shoura Council’s vice speaker focuses on strengthening parliamentary, economic ties
  • Ioannis Plakiotakis said that Saudi Arabia was a leading nation with a prominent position in the region and the world

RIYADH: Mishaal Al-Sulami, the vice speaker of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, has met Ioannis Plakiotakis, the first vice president of Greece’s Hellenic Parliament, in Athens.

The meeting took place during Al-Sulami's official visit to Greece and following an invitation from Plakiotakis, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The parties focused on the historic ties between Saudi Arabia and Greece, the SPA added.

Plakiotakis said the countries’ bilateral relations had evolved into a strategic partnership, particularly at parliamentary level, supported by growing political and economic cooperation.

He highlighted the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening the ties between the two countries and in supporting each other at all levels.

Plakiotakis added that Saudi Arabia was a leading nation with a prominent position in the region and the world, alongside its significant developments across various fields, and expressed his desire to continue developing and strengthening bilateral relations.

Al-Sulami spoke of this year’s centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Greece, and the creation of the Strategic Partnership Council. The first meeting of the council took place in AlUla last January and was co-chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, reflecting shared long-term interests.

Al-Sulami said that the Shoura Council valued strengthening relations with the Hellenic Parliament and stressed the need to activate parliamentary diplomacy, including reciprocal visits and parliamentary friendship committees.

The meeting concluded with discussions on issues of common interest, particularly parliamentary affairs. Both sides expressed hope for continued progress in bilateral relations and sustained constructive dialogue.

Saudi Ambassador to Greece Ali Al-Yousef and other Shoura Council members also attended the meeting.