(Updates all through with Sullivan feedback on Iran, Israel)
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, Could 4 (Reuters) –
White Home nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan stated on Thursday he’ll journey to Saudi Arabia this weekend for talks with Saudi leaders, as the US seeks to bolster often-frayed ties with Riyadh.
Sullivan, talking at a assume tank convention, additionally stated the US will “take the mandatory motion to make sure that Iran doesn’t purchase a nuclear weapon” and nonetheless seeks a diplomatic end result to the problem posed by Tehran.
Sullivan, talking on the Washington Institute for Close to East Coverage, stated he can be touring to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for talks with Saudi leaders. A supply stated Sullivan is predicted to fulfill with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Oil manufacturing cuts by Saudi-led OPEC+ and variations between the US and Saudi Arabia over the 2018 demise of Washington Submit journalist Jamal Khashoggi have broken ties.
Sullivan stated that additionally going to Saudi Arabia shall be representatives from India and the United Arab Emirates to debate “new areas of cooperation between New Delhi and the Gulf in addition to the US and the remainder of the area.”
Former President Donald Trump’s administration brokered various normalization offers between Gulf allies and Israel. Sullivan stated the US was working laborious to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“Finally attending to full normalization is a declared nationwide safety curiosity of the US. We’ve got been clear about that,” he stated.
“Now as an indication of my seriousness about how a lot we’re targeted on this, and the way critically we’re taking this, I’m not going to say something additional lest I upset the efforts we’re enterprise on this difficulty,” he stated.
Sullivan stated the US nonetheless seeks a diplomatic resolution to Iran’s nuclear program and lamented Trump’s choice in 2018 to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.
“Sure, we are going to take the mandatory motion to make sure that Iran doesn’t purchase a nuclear weapon,” Sullivan stated.
“On the finish of the day, that’s the elementary take a look at – Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. They don’t at present and so they can not have one,” he stated.
Sullivan stated Washington was working with allies together with Israel to discourage Iran from growing a weapon.
“We are going to proceed to ship a transparent message in regards to the prices and penalties of going too far, whereas on the similar time persevering with to hunt the opportunity of a diplomatically brokered end result that places Iran’s nuclear program again right into a field.”
Sullivan performed down U.S. tensions with Israel which have developed since Benjamin Netanyahu took over once more as Israeli prime minister late final yr. He stated he held a video convention along with his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday and Netanyahu joined in for a part of it.
He didn’t say, nevertheless, when Biden would prolong an invite to the Israeli chief to go to Washington. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Enhancing by Leslie Adler)