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US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Iran Interference Makes It Difficult to Find a Path for Peace in Yemen

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
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US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Iran Interference Makes It Difficult to Find a Path for Peace in Yemen

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid on Wednesday stressed the importance of promoting security in the Middle East and deterring the malign Iranian threat in the region, confirming that Iranian interference in Yemen is blocking the path to peace.

Abizaid’s remarks were made at a videoconference meeting attended by Asharq Al-Awsat.

The roundtable with journalists touched on a number of topics, including US relations with Saudi Arabia and policy on regional threats in the Middle East.

While the world waits on the results of the upcoming US election, Abizaid said that he sees no change in the future relationship between Riyadh and Washington.

“There may be some emphasis on different areas that will be different, but I wouldn’t anticipate that the relationship will be anything other than what it has been for 75 years, which is the rock of stability in the region,” he said.

It is worth noting that on October 14, the US and Saudi Arabia held a strategic in Washington.

Abizaid referred to Saudi Arabia's efforts to free US citizens who were held hostage by terrorist Houthi militia in Yemen.

The abducted US nationals were working to restore peace to Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia and UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.

Iranian interference in Yemen makes it more difficult for Houthis to find a path for peace, the US diplomat noted.

Abizaid affirmed that Saudi Arabia and the US share a common goal centered on promoting peace and stability in the region.

Speaking about threats in the region, Abizaid pointed out to Iran deploying its arms in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Referring to the Saudi-US dialogue, Abizaid said the discussions in Washington focused on cooperation in defense, security and intelligence, and critical infrastructure protection, along with promoting resilient energy markets, “especially in light of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Of course, we also talked about the importance of using only trusted vendors and critical information and communications technology in exploring new areas of cooperation and cybersecurity and other areas,” he added.

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Tehran Urges Washington to Stop ‘Role-Sharing’ with Israel

Ghalibaf presiding over a parliamentary session (File photo – Parliament website)
Ghalibaf presiding over a parliamentary session (File photo – Parliament website)
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Tehran Urges Washington to Stop ‘Role-Sharing’ with Israel

Ghalibaf presiding over a parliamentary session (File photo – Parliament website)
Ghalibaf presiding over a parliamentary session (File photo – Parliament website)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has called on US President Donald Trump to “change his approach” and stop “coordinating roles” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he hopes to reach a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

In a speech opening the Iranian parliament’s weekly session, Ghalibaf criticized a recent US proposal relayed via Oman - a key mediator in the indirect talks between Tehran and Washington - describing it as lacking substance and contradictory in its intent. While Iran has not yet issued an official response to the proposal, Ghalibaf made it clear that Tehran is dissatisfied.

“The American proposal doesn’t even mention lifting sanctions,” Ghalibaf said. “It clearly shows the contradictory behavior of the United States in the indirect negotiations.”

He added: “The delusional American president must realize that if he truly wants an agreement, he must change his approach, stop dividing roles with the Zionist regime, and abandon Netanyahu’s failed talking points.”

Ghalibaf reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to the Strategic Action Law to Lift Sanctions, which was passed by the Iranian parliament at the end of Trump’s first term in office, shortly after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Under that law, Iran resumed uranium enrichment at 20% in January 2021 and activated advanced centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility. These steps came just weeks into Biden’s presidency, as he unsuccessfully sought a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement.

By February 2021, Tehran had suspended the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, significantly reducing its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Then, in April of the same year, Iran raised its uranium enrichment level to 60% at Natanz and later resumed high-level enrichment at its deeply buried Fordow facility.

“We reaffirm, as clearly stated in the Strategic Action Law, that Iran is ready - in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and economic benefits while maintaining enrichment on its own soil - to take necessary steps to build trust and prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities,” Ghalibaf said.

He stressed the need for Iran to rely on domestic capacities and improve the living and economic conditions of its people, saying this would pressure the “arrogant American government” to lift sanctions as part of a mutually beneficial agreement.

“We have said it many times and repeat it again today: Solving the people’s economic and livelihood problems through internal capabilities will force the US to accept a fair deal,” Ghalibaf concluded.