Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman revealed in an interview with Fox News that "the Kingdom is getting closer every day to normalizing relations with Israel," emphasizing that the Palestinian issue is important to the Kingdom and must be resolved. He stated that negotiations are still ongoing, hoping that they will reach a solution that facilitates the lives of the Palestinians.
He stressed that if U.S. President Joe Biden's administration successfully brokers a deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, it would be the largest of its kind since the end of the Cold War. He is prepared to work with anyone leading the normalization efforts if there is a breakthrough in negotiations.
Bin Salman confirmed that "if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, we must also acquire one." However, he noted that "possessing such weapons is not beneficial," asserting that "the world will not accept seeing another Hiroshima. If used, it would require engaging in a major battle with the rest of the world." He continued by expressing concerns over any nation acquiring nuclear weapons, stating that "any country using nuclear weapons would be at war with all countries of the world."
At the same time, he highlighted that relations with Iran are progressing well and hopes it continues for the benefit of regional security and stability. He clarified that China did not mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran; rather, China offered to do so. He mentioned that Saudi Arabia desires Iran to engage positively with regional countries and noted that Iran is approaching reconciliation seriously.
On another note, Bin Salman stated that former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was an enemy of Saudi Arabia as much as he was an enemy of America. Regarding the ongoing war in Yemen, he said it is time to seek an end to the conflict. When asked about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he responded that he is working on reforming the security system to ensure that such "errors" do not occur again. Concerning the death sentence issued against a man who criticized the Kingdom on social media, he expressed hope that the next judge reviewing the case would view the matter differently.
Economically, Bin Salman asserted that his country will be one of the strongest economies in the world, aiming to be a leader in GDP. He noted that Saudi Arabia has achieved the fastest growth within the G20 over the past two years and is working ambitiously to reach these goals, turning challenges into opportunities. Regarding agreements made at the G20 summit in New Delhi, particularly the corridor linking India to Europe, he confirmed that this project will shorten economic movement by 3 to 6 days, stating that these agreements with the United States will be beneficial for both countries as well as for regional and global security.
During the television interview, the Crown Prince mentioned that the BRICS group does not represent any geopolitical competition to the U.S. and the West. Regarding Saudi matters, he stated that Saudis believe in change and are driving towards it, and he is one of them. He addressed skeptics about visiting the Kingdom by saying that "Saudi Arabia is the greatest success story of the 21st century." He added that the pace of progress will continue to accelerate and will not stop, expressing his commitment to ensuring that his actions are worthy of the status of the two holy mosques and Islamic sanctities.
Finally, concerning decisions to cut oil production, he stated: "The goal is market stability, not to assist Russia in its war in Ukraine." He continued, "We are merely monitoring supply and demand; if there is a supply shortage, our role in OPEC+ is to fill that gap. If there is an oversupply, our role in OPEC+ is to adjust that for market stability."
