Riyadh calls for putting Iranian nuclear facilities under international supervision

Islam Mohamed

Saudi Arabia renewed its official demand for putting Iran’s nuclear facilities under international control.

It made this demand during an official visit to Vienna by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

Bin Farhan met the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, in the presence of Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan, the Saudi permanent representative at international organizations in Vienna, and the Kingdom’s ambassador to Austria.

During the meeting, the Saudi foreign minister discussed important developments on the Iranian nuclear program, the need to enforce the mechanisms required for the comprehensive inspection of all nuclear sites, as well as ways to stop Iran’s violation of international laws and norms.

Violations in this regard, bin Farhan said, destabilize the security and stability of the Middle East region and the world at large.

The two sides also touched on the necessity of applying international standards for atomic energy to support growth and progress to achieve sustainable development at the global level.

The most prominent developments on the regional and international arenas were also discussed during the meeting.

This visit came after Iran closed the Bushehr reactor, near the Arab Gulf states, temporarily due to technical problems that threatened its operation.

Saudi criticism of Tehran

Earlier this month, Riyadh criticized Tehran for its lack of transparency in dealing with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Saudi Press Agency quoted Prince Abdullah bin Khalid at the June session of the agency’s board of governors as confirming that reports showed the lack of transparency on the Iranian side in dealing with the agency’s demands, especially when it came to four sites that include undeclared nuclear activities and materials.