![\"prince_turki_al_faisal\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/prince_turki_al_faisal.jpg\" "\\"prince_turki_al_faisal\\"")
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The Iranian regime\u2019s backing is keeping Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in power, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud has told a meeting of the European Council.<\/p>\n
Prince Turki, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, said Assad remained in power because of the Iranian backed militia including Hezbollah and the regime\u2019s Revolutionary Guards.<\/p>\n
He told the European Council on Foreign Relations: “As long as Iran continues interfering in Arab affairs, our relations will remain strained and belligerent.<\/p>\n
“Remove the Iranians and I would bet that it wouldn\u2019t take more than a few weeks to bring Assad to his knees. We have to negate Assad\u2019s military superiority because he won\u2019t negotiate until then.<\/p>\n
“Dilly-dallying is what allowed [Al-Qaeda linked] Jabhat Al-Nusra to enter the fray. Had the US and Europe listened to the kingdom and provided the opposition with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, we would not have had to deploy our air force against ISIL now.”<\/p>\n
Prince Turki, the former director-general of the Kingdom\u2019s General Intelligence Directorate, had also said in October: “It is up to the Iranians to show that their sweet and sensible talk is going to be translated into action. When and if that happens then there is a chance for the situation between, not just the Kingdom and Iran, but also between Iran and the rest of the world to improve.”<\/p>\n
Prince Turki added that the kingdom had been direct in its dealings with Iran, and had told its officials: “You can\u2019t have it both ways. You can\u2019t deal with us and then go and support somebody who wants to overturn us.”<\/p>\n
He added: “And this is what they\u2019ve been doing in Lebanon, this is what they\u2019ve been doing in Syria, this is what they\u2019re doing in Bahrain, and what they\u2019re doing in Iraq. So this is how we deal with Iran.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Iranian regime’s backing is keeping Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in power, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud has told a meeting of the European Council. Prince Turki, chairman of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-17622","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-iran-a-world","7":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n