Saudi Arabia says normalization with Israel would be 'huge' and Iran strongly opposes

Saudi Arabia is betting on the possibility of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon in order to obtain the same weapon, in light of international opposition to Riyadh's acquisition of the yellow cake, despite timid Israeli welcomes to support the wealthy Gulf kingdom to obtain enrichment, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi opposed the Israeli-Saudi agreement, describing it as a treacherous stab.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman said normalization with Israel was imminent, and it would be the largest normalization that would push the region toward stability.

The Saudi crown prince said in an interview with Fox News that his country would get a nuclear weapon if Iran could get it first.

Asked what would happen if Iran actually got a nuclear bomb, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: "If they get one, we have to get it similarly, for security reasons and for the balance of power in the Middle East. But we don't want to see that."

"Possessing a nuclear weapon is useless ... If you use it, you will have to enter into a major battle with the rest of the world," he said, noting that "the world cannot tolerate a new Hiroshima because of nuclear weapons."

The Saudi crown prince stressed that relations with Iran are progressing, expressing his hope that they will continue in the interest of the security and stability of the region, noting that "China is the one who chose to mediate between us and the Iranians.

On the Palestinian issue, Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied suspending negotiations on the relationship with Israel, pointing out that they are progressing day by day, stressing at the same time that the Palestinian issue is important for normalizing relations.

"For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve this part... We have a good negotiation strategy that continues so far."

"I really want to see a good life for the Palestinians, so I would like to complete negotiations with the Biden administration to ensure that," he said, noting that for the first time negotiations on normalization with Israel seem real and serious and "we'll see how it goes."

"We have to see where we go. We hope that we will reach a place that will facilitate the lives of Palestinians and make Israel a player in the Middle East."

The Saudi crown prince said: "If we make a breach by reaching an agreement that gives the Palestinians what they need and makes the region calm, we will work with anyone who leads Israel."

He pointed out that if the administration of US President Joe Biden succeeds in concluding an agreement between the Kingdom and Israel, it will be the largest agreement since the end of the Cold War.

On the Yemeni crisis, Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed that Saudi Arabia is the largest supporter of Yemen in the past, today and in the future, and we look forward to a sustainable political solution.

He added: "We look forward to the region and all its countries enjoying security and stability to develop and progress economically, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest supporter of Yemen in the past, today and in the future, and we look forward to a sustainable political solution."

In response to a question about the kingdom's oil policies, the Saudi crown prince said: "The kingdom's petroleum policy is governed by supply and demand, and we are committed to the stability of oil markets."

"We are just monitoring supply and demand, and if there is a shortage of supply, our role in OPEC+ is to fill this shortage. If there is an oversupply, our role in OPEC+ is to adjust that in order to stabilize the market."

He stressed that the Kingdom has succeeded in achieving the fastest growth in GDP among the Group of Twenty for two consecutive years, stressing that Saudi Arabia will be one of the strongest economies in the world.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: "Vision 2030 is ambitious and we have achieved its goals faster and set new targets with greater ambition, and our goal is to always reach the Kingdom for the better and turn challenges into opportunities, and the pace of our progress will continue at a higher speed, and will not stop or subside for one day."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Wednesday in New York that if Saudi Arabia normalized its relations with Israel, it would be a betrayal of the Palestinian cause by the kingdom.

During a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Raisi was asked about the rapprochement between the kingdom and the Jewish state, and he began his response by welcoming the recent rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh, stressing that Iran's relationship "with Saudi Arabia is developing."

Last spring, rival regional powers, Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, began normalizing relations, in a surprise move sponsored by China.

On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News that "every day we are getting closer and closer" to normalizing relations with Israel.

The statement came as US President Joe Biden was discussing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York specifically the issue of relations between the Kingdom and the Jewish state.

"We believe that a relationship between countries in the region and the Zionist entity will be a stab in the back of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance," Raisi said.

In his interview, Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed that negotiations are continuing between his country and the Jewish state, stressing at the same time that "for us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We have to solve it."

The Saudi crown prince said he hoped the negotiations would lead "to an outcome that will make life easier for Palestinians and allow Israel to play a role in the Middle East."

Asked about the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, the Saudi crown prince warned that if the Islamic Republic acquired atomic weapons, the kingdom would be forced to do the same.

"We are concerned that a country could acquire a nuclear weapon. That's bad."

He added that the Iranians "don't need to get a nuclear weapon because they can't use it," but "if they get this weapon, we should get it too."