Saudi crown prince warns of escalation with Iran, says he prefers political solution

[webfact]

Saudi crown prince warns of escalation with Iran, says he prefers political solution

By Matt Spetalnick and Timothy Gardner

 

FILE PHOTO:Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives ahead of the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince warned in an interview broadcast on Sunday that oil prices could spike to "unimaginably high numbers" if the world does not come together to deter Iran, but said he would prefer a political solution to a military one.

 

Speaking to the CBS program "60 Minutes," Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, also denied that he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives nearly a year ago, but said he ultimately bears "full responsibility" as the leader of his country.

 

While Khashoggi's death sparked a global uproar and tarnished the crown prince's reputation, the Trump administration's tense standoff with Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch-foe, has more recently dominated U.S. policy toward Riyadh, especially after the Sept. 14 attacks on the heartland of the Saudi oil industry.

 

"If the world does not take a strong and firm action to deter Iran, we will see further escalations that will threaten world interests," the crown prince said. "Oil supplies will be disrupted and oil prices will jump to unimaginably high numbers that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes."

 

The crown prince, in an interview conducted on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, said he agreed with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the Sept. 14 attacks, which damaged the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility and knocked out more than 5% of global oil supply, were an act of war by Iran.

 

But he said he preferred a peaceful resolution because a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran would collapse the global economy.

 

The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia have blamed the attacks on Iran. Tehran has denied any involvement. Instead, the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility.

 

"The political and peaceful solution is much better than the military one," he said.

 

The crown prince also said U.S. President Donald Trump should meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to craft a new deal on Tehran's nuclear program and influence across the Middle East.

 

Efforts to bring the two together last week at the United Nations General Assembly failed. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated over the U.S. withdrawal from an Iranian nuclear deal and its reinstatement of sanctions against Tehran.

 

'ABSOLUTELY NOT'

Days before the anniversary of the killing of Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Turkey, the crown prince said: "Absolutely not," when asked if he ordered the murder.

 

But he said he took full responsibility for the killing, "since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government."

 

"This was a mistake. And I must take all actions to avoid such a thing in the future," the crown prince said of the killing, which he called "heinous."

 

The CIA and some Western governments have said they believe he ordered it, but Saudi officials have repeatedly said he had no role.

 

After initial denials, the official Saudi narrative blamed the murder on rogue operatives. The public prosecutor said the then-deputy intelligence chief ordered the repatriation of Khashoggi, a royal insider who became an outspoken critic, but the lead negotiator ordered him killed after discussions for his return failed.

 

Asked how the killing could have happened without him knowing about it," the crown prince said: "Some think that I should know what 3 million people working for the Saudi government do daily? It's impossible that the 3 million would send their daily reports to the leader or the second highest person in the Saudi government."

 

He insisted that "the investigations are being carried out, and once charges are proven against someone, regardless of their rank, it will be taken to court, no exception made."

 

Eleven Saudi suspects have been put on trial in secretive proceedings but only a few hearings have been held. A U.N. report has called for Prince Mohammed and other senior Saudi officials to be investigated.

 

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, where he was to receive papers ahead of his wedding. His body was dismembered and removed from the building, according to reports, and his remains have not been found.

 

Asked about criticism of the Saudis in the U.S. Congress over the Khashoggi killing and the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, which has taken a huge civilian toll, the crown prince said: "The (U.S.-Saudi) relationship is much larger than that."

 

Trump has resisted congressional efforts to block U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

 

The crown prince also repeated a Saudi call for Iran to halt its support for Houthi forces in Yemen and said he was open to "all initiatives for a political solution" to end the war there.

 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-30

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

[PatOngo]

If I were a Saudi journalist reporting on this guy, I would be extremely nervous! 

[Tug]

I’ll bet he would looks like he is getting his ass kicked right now

[ezzra]

What an awkward position to be in for him. being a royal and descended of the Saud house he has to talk tough but knowing very well that there isn't much he can about it but to talk and posie knowing full well that his armey are no match to the Iranians and that starting something he can't finish is not a good idea...

[PatOngo]

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

What an awkward position to be in for him. being a royal and descended of the Saud house he has to talk tough but knowing very well that there isn't much he can about it but to talk and posie knowing full well that his armey are no match to the Iranians and that starting something he can't finish is not a good idea...

There's a chump in America who will gladly help him out!

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Speaking to the CBS program "60 Minutes," Mohammed bin Salman

I imagine in these Islamic countries the phone directory is page 1 A-L and the last page N-Z and the 2000 pages in between all M

[Morch]

28 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

There's a chump in America who will gladly help him out!

 

Not much actual evidence this is the case, so far. A lot of talk, though.

[Saint Nick]

Will that "political solution" be the equivalent of a bone- saw?

[Dumbastheycome]

As far as the rhetoric goes at least this is a more rational statement than the initial accusations and calls for retaliation.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

There's a chump in America who will gladly help him out!

And another one in Jerusalem would be willing to have a go at Iran.

 

The Saudis want all the benefits they can get from the USA including US troops doing the fighting and dying for them.

 

IMHO starting a war with Iran would be extremely foolish, as Iran is not a pushover like Iraq was.

[fvw53]

4 hours ago, Saint Nick said:

Will that "political solution" be the equivalent of a bone- saw?

Why make easy if it also works the difficult way ....the only acceptable political solution would that Shia Iran converts to the Wahabbi kind of Islam ????

[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

he would prefer a political solution to a military one

Then reach a peace agreement with the Houchis.

In September 2019, the US says it is in talks with the Houthis, seeking to end the war.

The negotiations open a direct channel between POTUS Trump's administration and the Houthis.

On September 20, the Houthis unexpectedly announced that they plan to halt all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of an initiative to end the devastating conflict. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/yemen-war-5-years-houthis-sanaa-takeover-190921070639516.html

From that perspective Saudi Arabia needs to cease its attacks against Yemen and the U.S. needs to cease its military support for such attacks. But I doubt Saudi Arabia will until Saudi Arabia knows it will gain political control of Yemen.

[Galactus]

bc saudis has no chance to fight with Iran.

iran will destroy their all petrol fields and infrastructure in hours. Iran has proxies bordering Saudi Arabia too.

Iran lies his back to Russi and China and almost have borders with them.

Saudis? backed by US but not enough logistical support.

 

[phantomfiddler]

Salman, Salmond, Sturgeon ? These people are going to give fish a bad name !

[from the home of CC]

I see the #1 bodyguard was clipped, a case of knowing too much? I'd like to see his palaces over run and a bone saw taken to him while conscious but America will never let that happen and this fool knows it. Just like the Saudis knew they would be aided in leaving America after 9/11, the US has always had they're backs  no matter how nefarious or odorous their actions.  IMO There's way more than oil than meets the eye in this relationship.  

[jany123]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Oil supplies will be disrupted and oil prices will jump to unimaginably high numbers that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes."

I reckon Iran will be happy to supply cheap oil to negate any price increases

[Pique Dard]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

"The (U.S.-Saudi) relationship is much larger than that."

petrol is a powerful friend, indeed!