John Kerry, in Saudi Arabia, Reassures Gulf States on Iran Nuclear Talks

posted on: Mar 6, 2015

Saudi Arabia — Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday sought to reassure Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states that the negotiation of a nuclear accord with Iran would not lead the Obama administration to let down its guard against any Iranian interference in the region.

With the Saudi foreign minister by his side, Mr. Kerry said at a news conference here that the administration was committed to standing up to Iran’s “intervention.”

“We are not seeking a grand bargain,” Mr. Kerry said, offering the assurance that the administration was not pursuing a broader rapprochement with Iran that could come at the expense of its Arab rivals. “We will not take our eye off of Iran’s other destabilizing actions.”

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But it was clear from the remarks of the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, that Arab nations are acutely worried about Iran’s effort to exercise influence in the region and the prospect that it could grow as economic sanctions are lifted as part of a nuclear deal.

Source: www.nytimes.com