Lavrov: Full normalization in the Middle East cannot be achieved without resolving the main issue

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “Full normalization in the Middle East cannot be achieved without resolving the main issue, which is the settlement of the long-standing Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which Saudi Arabia put forward at the time”.

He added, “The Palestinians have been waiting for the officially promised state for more than 70 years, but the Americans have monopolized the mediation process and are doing everything in their power to prevent this”.

He continued: “We call on all responsible countries to unite their efforts in order to create conditions for the resumption of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations”.

Lavrov considered the statements of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding possessing a nuclear weapon if Iran developed a nuclear weapon as serious, pointing out that no one wants the emergence of new nuclear states.

The Russian Foreign Minister said, in a press conference, Saturday, in response to the Saudi Crown Prince’s statements a few days ago, “I heard what was said: If Iran possesses nuclear weapons, we, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will have to think about it as well… I consider this a serious statement, and no one wants new nuclear states to emerge on this planet”.

He added: “Iran has repeatedly stressed that it has no such intention, and its spiritual leader even issued a fatwa accordingly… Therefore, we start from the fact that as long as Iran doesn’t possess a nuclear bomb, Iran’s neighbors will not have the temptation to follow such a path”.

Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, in an interview with Fox News, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would have to possess nuclear weapons if Iran obtained them.