Region to enter 'very dangerous' phase if Iran nuclear deal not reached: Saudi FM

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – The region will enter a "very dangerous" phase if a nuclear agreement with Iran is not reached, the Saudi foreign minister warned on Sunday.

“If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off,” Faisal bin Farhan said at an event in Abu Dhabi, according to the Saudi Gazette newspaper.

Iran’s neighbors would act to boost their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons, he said.

“We are in a very dangerous space in the region and you can expect that regional states will certainly look towards how they can ensure their own security,” the top Saudi diplomat said.

Arguing that the present indications are not positive, Farhan said Iran’s neighbors need more and tangible assurances to believe that it does not aim to obtain nuclear weapons.

Though we support nuclear agreement with Tehran, reaching it does not translate that there are guarantees Tehran will not seek to produce nuclear weapons, Farhan said.

While attempts for revival of the Iran nuclear deal have not yet borne fruit, Western pressure has been increasing over Tehran's crackdown against recent protests, and its growing ties with Russia.