The Iranian nuclear deal is stalled
Fox News correspondent Amy Kellogg interviews a former State Department official and adviser to the Iranian nuclear negotiating team on the latest news regarding the JCPOA.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to end years of hostilities and resume diplomatic ties following previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between the rival powers’ top security officials.
“The United States is aware of reports that Iran and Saudi Arabia have resumed diplomatic ties, but have passed additional details to the Saudis,” a White House National Security Council spokesman said of the report. “Overall, we welcome any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and ease tensions in the Middle East region.”
The two nations announced the agreement after four days of meetings, saying they would “resume diplomatic relations between them and reopen their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months”.
“The agreement includes their affirmation of respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in internal affairs”.
FRANCE ASKS LEBANON TO QUESTION 2 SUSPECTS IN 1983 DEADLY ATTENTION
Saudi Arabia and Iran also agreed to activate a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001 in addition to previous agreements on trade, economy and investment. The Beijing talks concluded a series of ongoing discussions that took place in Iraq and Oman in 2021 and 2022.
“The three countries also expressed their firm determination to make every effort to strengthen regional and international peace and security,” read a joint statement by Tehran, Riyadh and Beijing.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran, left, and Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, right. Iran and Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that they had agreed to resume diplomatic ties and end years of hostilities. (Leading Iranian Press Office/Royal Court of Saudi Arabia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow and Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the deal gave Iran a means to demonstrate it can “diplomatically maneuver and limit the Abraham Accords.” , so he expected Iran to continue to “talk about the deal”.
He also noted the importance of China’s role in brokering the deal, which he argued presented a “greater interest” in the region’s politics that will create “deeper political engagement.”
UKRAINE FIRST LADY OLENA ZELENSKA TRAVELS TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, A COUNTRY THAT REMAINS OPEN TO RUSSIA
“That a potential Iran-Saudi diplomatic restoration has been brokered by China should surprise no one,” Ben Taleblu said. “China is the largest trading partner on both sides of the Persian Gulf, thanks to its hunger for hydrocarbons and energy from the region.”
“The fact that Riyadh is seeking this deal through Iran’s partner Beijing and not Iran’s adversary Washington tells you everything you need to know about how much the JCPOA has damaged the impression in Saudi Arabia that the ‘America can significantly limit the Islamic Republic,” he added. .
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 8, 2022. (Yue Yuewei/Xinhua via Getty Images)
US GIVES ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’ NOTICE TO PORTIONS OF MEXICO AS SPRING BREAK APPROACH
Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, criticized his country for focusing on “internal struggles” instead of “our worst enemy”.
“Iran and Saudi Arabia just agreed to resume relations and it’s very bad for Israel and for the entire free world,” Edelstein said.
TEHRAN, IRAN – JANUARY 23: Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets with Supreme Leader of Iran Sayyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran on January 23, 2016. (Supreme Leader Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The reaction from other Middle Eastern countries, however, was positive and welcomed the agreement. Iraq said it welcomed the “turning page” between rival powers, according to the state news agency.
Yemen’s Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam welcomed the deal, tweeting that the region needed “normal ties” between the countries to resume.
GOP LAWMAKER INVESTIGATES ALLEGED STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDING OF UK’S ‘GLOBAL DISINFORMATION INDEX’
Rebekah Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, told Fox News Digital that the deal presented “another indicator of tectonic geopolitical shifts taking place around the world.”
“China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and now Saudi Arabia are moving closer and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, a traditional US ally, moving away from the US,” Koffler said. “Many of these recent changes are driven by the Biden administration’s response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been emotional rather than rational.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“US sanctions policies have failed to change the behavior of their targets, be it Putin, the Iranian ayatollahs, etc.,” he added. “Deterrence through military force and the occasional use of force is a much more powerful option.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
