Riyadh 'supports and welcomes' Trump's JCPOA move: Saudi Foreign Ministry

Rasa - Saudi Arabia has said it "supports and welcomes" US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA.)

News ID: 437588

Date: 09 May 2018 - 22:12

RNA - "The kingdom supports and welcomes the steps announced by the US president towards withdrawing from the nuclear deal... and reinstating economic sanctions against Iran," said a statement released by the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The statement further claimed Iran was "taking advantage of the revenue generated by the lifting of the sanctions to destabilize the region."

Riyadh's allies in the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, also issued statements voicing support of Trump's decision.

Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Tel Aviv regime "fully supports" Trump's "bold" withdrawal from Iran deal.

“For months now, Iran has been transferring lethal weaponry to its forces in Syria, with the purpose of striking at Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We will respond mightily to any attack on our territory," he further claimed.

Earlier in the day, Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with the world powers and re-impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

According to Press TV, Trump said that after consulting with US "friends" across the Middle East, his country would "not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail."

The announcement came despite massive efforts by the European allies of the US to convince Trump to stay in the 2015 deal, known JCPOA, reached between Iran and the P5+1, five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany.

Iran has on numerous occasions asserted that its nuclear program is merely peaceful and not meant to make nukes.

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