The delivery comes as Egyptian and U.S. representatives, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, prepare to meet August.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Cairo to resume a US-Egypt “strategic dialogue” that was suspended following the 2011 Islamic revolution.
Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir here on Monday expressed the kingdom’s condemnation and rejection of the aggressive statements of Iranian officials concerning Iran’s interventions in the internal affairs of the countries in the region, stressing that this is unacceptable for us and for our brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab world countries. That was before the political turmoil and strained relations that followed the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, the election of a Muslim Brotherhood president, a 2013 coup led by then-army chief Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Sisi’s subsequent election as president and crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and civil liberties.
Separately, the United States announced it is delivering eight F-16 fighter jets to Egypt.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss Kerry’s trip publicly, said the talks in Qatar would take stock of progress made on those goals, particularly since the Iran deal was signed.
Saudi Arabia’s reaction to the nuclear deal between its arch-rival Iran and the worldwide community has been ambiguous.
Kerry has not been to the country in several months, as relations have soured over the Iran deal.
The State Department said Kerry and Soltan discussed his experience in prison and “the importance of distinguishing between peaceful dissent and violent extremism in the fight against terrorism”.
Kerry arrived in the Egyptian capital, his first stop on a five-nation tour of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
U.S. military assistance to Egypt had been on hold until earlier this year due to human rights and democracy concerns in the wake of the coup but was resumed after the administration decided to waive those provisions for national security reasons.
The U.S. State Department has already approved the request by Saudi Arabia to purchase the PAC-3 missiles, according to a memorandum the Pentagon sent Congress on Wednesday.
“It seems to me if I lived in the Gulf, I would feel a lot more comfortable with Iran backed off from nuclear weapons and not being able to pursue them for 10 or 15 years than I would without a deal”, Serwer said.
While in Doha, Kerry also will discuss security issues with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
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A few Gulf ministers fear that the sanctions relief for Iran, which would result from the country’s compliance with the deal, could empower Tehran to widen its influence in the region and broaden its support of militant groups.
