Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated on Friday that Iran's acceleration of its nuclear activities is leading the world into a highly dangerous phase, amidst efforts to bring Tehran back to the 2015 nuclear agreement. In a press conference in Washington following his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, bin Farhan called for a "swift halt" to Iranian activities that violate the agreement.
The nuclear deal requires Iran to impose restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. The Saudi minister urged for a "quick resumption" of indirect talks between the United States and Iran. He said, "I believe we are in a highly dangerous phase. The fact that we are still seeing an acceleration in these activities... indicates a diminishing value of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the official name of the nuclear agreement.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who took office in August, has so far refused to resume indirect talks in Vienna. The Biden administration seeks to negotiate a return to compliance with the agreement after former President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. Following Trump's withdrawal, Iran resumed its stockpiling of enriched uranium.
Bin Farhan noted, "We started a dialogue with Iran," referring to four rounds of talks the two countries began holding in 2020, mainly focused on the conflict in Yemen. He added, "These communications, although friendly, were exploratory in nature and did not reach a point where we can say we made significant progress."
He declined to answer a question about reports suggesting that Saudi Arabia is considering allowing Iran to reopen its consulate in Jeddah, as the kingdom severed ties with Iran in 2016 amid a dispute over Saudi Arabia's execution of a Shiite cleric.
### Lebanese Crisis
Bin Farhan also discussed the political crisis in Lebanon during the press conference, stating that recent events demonstrate the need for "real and serious change" from the country’s leaders. Tensions have flared over the investigation into the massive explosion that rocked Beirut last year, leading to the worst street violence in over a decade on Thursday.
Regarding Afghanistan, Bin Farhan stated that Taliban leaders must pursue a "path of national reconciliation" that includes all elements of Afghan society, reiterating Western leaders' calls for an inclusive government in the country following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in August during the withdrawal of American and foreign troops.
When asked whether Washington is pressuring to accelerate oil production from OPEC+, which includes OPEC and Russia among others, Bin Farhan avoided responding, stating that Saudi Arabia is "committed to a balanced energy market and a balanced oil market." He added that Saudi Arabia manages the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the global energy market "in a way that ensures stability and serves the interests of both producers and consumers."
