Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in a Thursday interview that Iran's attack on the kingdom and other Gulf states has created a 'significant crisis of trust,' setting back normalization efforts. He stated that Israel is part of the region and must be included in regional dialogue alongside the Palestinians, but warned that a purely military approach will harm Israeli interests in the long term. On the Strait of Hormuz, he called for a return to the pre-conflict status quo, opposing any new imposed arrangement.
Thursday afternoon — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan gave a wide-ranging interview addressing the regional crisis with Iran, Israel's standing, and the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating positions consistent with his earlier statements this week. The interview comes as the Zioneer reported at 13:34 that the prince had called for a return to the pre-conflict status quo in the strait and warned against a military-only Israeli approach.
In the interview, he described Iran's attack on the Kingdom and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as having generated a 'significant crisis of trust' that derailed the initial understandings reached in Beijing. He stated that the relationship would require dialogue to restore trust before progress on economic cooperation or investments can be discussed, adding that other Gulf states likely share the same view.
On Israel, he said: 'Israel is part of the region. This means it should be part of the regional dialogue. But Palestine is also part of the region.' He argued that a military-only strategy is 'completely mistaken' and does not serve anyone's interests over the long term, calling for a focus on diplomacy where the United States has a key role.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Prince Faisal stated that the management of the waterway functioned properly before the current confrontation — with no safety or environmental issues — and questioned the rationale for accepting any new imposed arrangement. 'I think we should return to the previous situation,' he said.
What remains unresolved: the prince did not specify under what conditions Saudi Arabia would re-engage with Iran, nor offer a concrete pathway to including Palestinians in regional dialogue. The strait's status remains a flashpoint, with Iran maintaining the blockade, as The Zioneer reported on June 14.
2 developments
- StrongSaudi foreign minister says reliance on US is over, as Trump 'cannot protect his own country'
- StrongSaudi FM tells Iran's Araghchi: Riyadh welcomes US-Iran military cessation agreement
- StrongSaudi Arabia calls for restraint; Iran vows to 'neutralize source of attacks'
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia condemns renewed Iranian strikes on Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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