Saudis pressed Iran on US nuclear deal to avoid war with Israel

US President Donald Trump recently cautioned Netanyahu against taking military action against Iran because it could disrupt the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister gave a stark warning to Iran that if Tehran failed to reach a nuclear agreement with the US, it may face war with Israel.

Prince Khalid bin Salman, son of Saudi Arabia’s 89-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz, attended a private meeting on April 17 with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the sources said.

Prince Khalid drew on his experience serving as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador during Trump’s first term to explain to the Iranian officials that Trump is unwilling to wait out extensive and lengthy negotiations.

Bin Salman told the group to expedite a nuclear agreement with Washington to avoid an Israeli military attack if diplomacy should fail.

He added that the Middle East, already riddled with conflict following Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, can’t withstand additional destabilization.

Pezeshkian responded that Iran was motivated to potentially reach a deal to lift sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy.

On Thursday, it came to light that leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates met with Trump and warned that they are opposed to an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

According to multiple reports, Trump recently cautioned Netanyahu against taking any action that could disrupt the ongoing nuclear negotiations. In contrast, Netanyahu reportedly issued a warning of his own, threatening potential strikes on Iranian nuclear sites imminently.

On Tuesday, American news outlet Axios cited two sources — one of them a White House official — who said that during a phone call last week between the two leaders, Trump urged Netanyahu to refrain from any moves that could undermine the talks with Tehran.

Last Friday, US and Iranian representatives concluded their fifth round of negotiations in Italy. Trump later hinted to reporters that the discussions were nearing a breakthrough and that “real progress” was being made.

However, the two sides disagree sharply on a central component of a nuclear agreement. While the US seeks a commitment from Iran to cease uranium enrichment, Tehran insists it will continue to do so.