Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said his country was working with the U.S.to find ways to remove Assad from power.
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Kerry met Saturday with foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council who have taken a hard line against Iran in its spat with Saudi Arabia and its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Kerry said, “I think that the first thing that we agreed on today, overwhelmingly, is the importance of the partnership between the United States and the GCC, and we remain as committed to the success and continued engagement of that partnership”.
Iran is among the terrorism-supportive countries listed by the United Nations and several states other than Saudi Arabia, he pointed out. After Saudi Arabia executed a Shiite cleric earlier this month and protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic compounds in Tehran and another city, Saudi Arabia cut ties.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors have complained of a lack of US engagement in the face of what they see as Iranian meddling in the region. Kerry sought agreement from Gulf partners on Syrian opposition groups to be represented at the upcoming peace talks. Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states then severed diplomatic relations with Iran and have launched campaigns accusing it of being behind numerous terrorist attacks around the world. Kerry also said in press statements at the American embassy before he left the Saudi capital that the relationship between his country and Saudi Arabia is old and will not be affected by any events that create a difference in visions.
In an interview with CNN, Al-Jubeir said he can not publicly speak about the rumoured Saudi attempt to purchase nuclear weapons but stressed that Saudi Arabia will do whatever measures are necessary to protect its security.
Both countries have pledged not to let their rivalry affect Syria peace efforts, and US officials say there are no signs the hostility has negatively affected the diplomacy.
Kerry said that, “The incidents we witnessed over the last weeks confirm that the incidents are accelerating and that we have to get ready at all levels to confront them”.
But diplomats warn that the U.N.-sponsored talks between the Syrian government and opposition, scheduled to begin Monday, could be delayed by disagreements over which parties are invited to participate.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have caused concern around the globe.
Iran has acknowledged that officers of its Revolutionary Guards have been killed in Syria, but it denies having a large military presence in the country or participating directly in combat operations.
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However, Al Jubeir dismissed the existence of any mediation. Kerry is in Saudi Arabia on the second leg of his latest round-the-world dip…
