RIYADH: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Iran the “most destructive force” in the Middle East, blaming Tehran for instability across the region and warning that the United States will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon.
But at the same time, Trump said he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a huge boost for interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he seeks to stabilise a country shattered by war.
FINAL WARNING
Offering what he described as both a final warning and a potential opening for diplomacy, Trump said Iran has a choice between continuing its “chaos and terror” or embracing a path toward peace.
Tehran has repeatedly denied accusations of fomenting Middle East instability.
Addressing the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Trump said he was willing to strike a new deal with the Islamic Republic but only if its leaders changed course.
“I want to make a deal with Iran,” he said. “But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch…, we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure.”
Trump warned that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”, and said his offer for a deal won’t last forever.
‘CONSTRUCTIVE VISION’ VS ‘COLLAPSE AND SUFFERING’
Trump also drew a stark contrast between what he called the “constructive vision” of Saudi Arabia and the “collapse and suffering” he said had been caused by Iranian leaders.
“There could be no sharper contrast with the path you have pursued on the Arabian Peninsula than the disaster unfolding right across in the Gulf of Iran,” Trump added.
SYRIA BACK INTO THE FOLD
About lifting sanction on Syria, the White House said Trump would say hello to Sharaa during his Saudi visit, indicating a meeting between the president and a former al Qaeda commander who spent five years in a US prison in Iraq would take place Wednesday.
Two sources from the Syrian presidency said Sharaa would travel to Riyadh to meet Trump.
The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, and had kept them in place since he was toppled from power in December after more than 13 years of war.
Saudi Arabia has been a leading voice calling for the sanctions to be lifted.
Trump said he would remove all sanctions against Syria, saying they had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward.
