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RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi King Salman on Monday called on the international community to end Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. He also reaffirmed the kingdom's support for US efforts to end the war in Yemen.
FILE PHOTO: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attends a banquet hosted by Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo, Japan on Monday, March 13, 2017. REUTERS / Tomohiro Ohsumi / Pool / Photo File
The king's remarks to the Shura Council, one of the main consultative bodies of the government, constitute his first public comment since the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country's consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. This statement sparked a public outcry and severely strained ties to the west.
King Salman, who did not directly mention the Khashoggi case in his speech, condemned the actions of Iran, a Saudi enemy, who competes with the kingdom to exert influence in the region, especially during conflicts in the Middle East. Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
"The Iranian regime has always intervened in the domestic affairs of other countries, sponsoring terrorism, creating chaos and devastation in many countries in the region," said the 82-year-old monarch.
"The international community must work to put an end to the Iranian nuclear program and its activities that threaten security and stability," he added.
The king said Saudi Arabia backed the UK's efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition had been fighting for nearly four years the Houthi rebels lined up on Iran to restore the internationally recognized government.
"Our stance with Yemen was not an option, but a duty to help the Yemeni people to deal with the aggression of Iran-backed militias," he said. he declares.
UNDER PRESSURE
Riyadh is subject to increasing international criticism for its leadership of this war, which has left impoverished Yemen on the verge of starvation and killed many civilians. The reputation of the kingdom has been further undermined by the murder of Khashoggi.
The king, who had largely moved away from active political life, intervened to try to defuse the crisis, the biggest crisis that hit Saudi Arabia in a generation, and consolidate the power of his son. and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Riyadh initially offered many contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance, before declaring last week that he had been killed and his body dismembered when "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia had failed. The prosecutor said that he would seek the death penalty for five suspects in this case.
In his speech on Monday, King Salman congratulated the Saudi judiciary and prosecution service for "discharging the tasks entrusted to them", without further details.
In addition to the investigation of Khashoggi, the prosecutor participated in an anti-corruption campaign ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed last year, during which many princes, ministers and businessmen were arrested.
Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, said that Khashoggi's assassination order came from the highest level of Saudi leadership, but probably not from King Salman, instead focusing on the Crown Prince 33 years old.
US President Donald Trump suggested that the ultimate responsibility lay with the prince as a de facto leader.
To a rare extent against a major economic and security partner, the US Treasury last week imposed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the assassination, including one of the crown's chief collaborators. .
Written by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Stephen Kalin; Edited by Gareth Jones
