A senior Saudi official has delivered a direct message to Iran: Accept US President Donald Trump’s proposal for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program or risk conflict with Israel
The message was delivered by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at a meeting in Tehran on April 17, according to Gulf sources and Iranian officials.
The warning came from King Salman, 89, who sent his son to meet with Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Prince Khalid, a former Saudi ambassador to the US, stressed that Trump has no patience for lengthy negotiations and that the window for a deal could quickly close.
He warned that if talks fail, Iran could face an attack from Israel.
Saudi Arabia is concerned about instability in the region, especially after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which heightened tensions.
According to the sources, the prince said that a new conflict would be unsustainable for the region.
Iran’s response
At the meeting, the Iranian president said that the country wants an agreement to ease economic sanctions imposed by the West, but is not willing to completely abandon its uranium enrichment program, as Trump demands.
Iranian officials have expressed concern about the “unpredictable” stance of the US government, which sometimes allows limited enrichment and sometimes demands a complete end to the program.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, but has enriched uranium to levels that concern the international community, in addition to hindering inspections of its nuclear facilities and expanding its missile program.
Ongoing negotiations
The US and Iran have held five rounds of talks to resolve the impasse over Iran’s nuclear program, but obstacles remain, particularly over uranium enrichment.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US is preparing a document with terms for a deal, which would include a complete ban on uranium enrichment by Iran.
A senior US official said that if Iran does not accept these terms, “it will not be a good day for the Iranians.”
There are differences between the US and Israel over how to deal with Iran.
Israel fears that the US will soften its position on enrichment, while the Americans have indicated that they may support Israeli military action if the negotiations fail.
Regional concerns
Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, in a meeting with Trump earlier this month, expressed opposition to a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Iran has been building underground facilities at its main enrichment plant, Natanz, which could make airstrikes more difficult and heighten tensions with Israel.
Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take any action that would derail negotiations with Iran, saying the talks were “very close to a solution.” The U.S. hopes an initial deal can calm Israel’s concerns and avert an imminent attack.
Bottom line
Saudi Arabia is seeking to avoid an escalation of conflict in the region, while Iran faces pressure to negotiate with the U.S. Talks are ongoing, but the future of Iran’s nuclear program and stability in the Middle East remain uncertain.
Published in 05/30/2025 21h51
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article:
| Geoprocessing Drone Systems HPC |
| ERP and CRM Systems Mobile Systems AI |