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Saudi prince: Iran deal could prompt nuclear race

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Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal warned on Monday that a possible deal on Iran’s nuclear program will prompt Saudi Arabia and other states to seek the development of atomic technology.

“I’ve always said whatever comes out of these talks, we will want the same,” he told the BBC in an interview.

“So if Iran has the ability to enrich uranium to whatever level, it’s not just Saudi Arabia that’s going to ask for that,” he added.

“The whole world will be an open door to go that route without any inhibition, and that’s my main objection to this P5+1 [the six world powers] process,” said Prince Turki, who served as Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief and Riyadh’s ambassador to Washington and London.

Prince Saud al-Faisal also has warned of the Iranian regime’s “destabilizing” policies in the region and stressed on ensuring Tehran doesn’t acquire nuclear weapons.

On that note, Prince Turki said: “Iran is already a disruptive player in various scenes in the Arab world, whether it’s Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, or Bahrain.

“So ending fear of developing weapons of mass destruction is not going to be the end of the troubles we’re having with Iran.”

“Now it seems that Iran is expanding its occupation of Iraq and that is unacceptable,” said Prince Turki.

Meanwhile The Associated Press reported on Tuesday: “In the region, Western-allied and oil-rich Sunni-ruled Gulf states deeply distrust the non-Arab Shiite powerhouse and see its hand in destabilizing their part of the world by backing armed groups from Lebanon to Yemen to Iraq. That distrust fuels sectarian divisions that course through many of the region’s conflicts and get exploited by extremist organizations including the Islamic State group, which considers Shiites heretics.”

“A deal could worsen those tensions. Arab powers like Saudi Arabia and Egypt might conclude Iran has been allowed to stand on the threshold of a nuclear weapon and decide that they, too, must have nuclear programs — further inflaming the world’s most combustible tinderbox.”