Kerry Stresses 'Solid, Clear' US Alliance with Saudi Arabia

Amid increasing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the United States Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated Sunday from Riyadh his government’s “solid relationship” and “strong friendship” with Saudi Arabia even after the U.S.-led nuclear deal with Iran.

"We have as solid a relationship, as clear an alliance, and as strong a friendship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as we've ever had," Kerry said before departing Riyadh for Laos at the end of a 24-hour visit."Nothing has changed because we worked to eliminate a nuclear weapon with a country in the region. We will continue to work in the region with our friends and our allies."

Kerry insists Saudi Arabia, the world's leading sponsor & exporter of Sunni extremism, will help fight sectarianism. pic.twitter.com/iXmnZeXyJk

— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) January 24, 201

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Kerry’s visit comes as an effort to calm worries in the region over the easing of decades-long tensions between Tehran and Washington following the Iran nuclear deal and the lifting of harsh sanctions against the majority Shiite Iran.

The already fragile tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the main political rivals in the region, reached an all-time high in November following the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a Saudi cleric of the Shiite Islamic sect.

Nimr’s execution sparked protests across the Middle East including ones in Iran that saw the burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

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After the attack on the embassy, Saudi Arabia and some of its allies cut diplomatic ties with Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposing sides in the conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

He can't really be this naive –– John Kerry says U.S.-Saudi friendship stronger than ever https://t.co/eIjfZd3KaV AP

— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) January 24, 201

The latest tensions also come amid the final implementation of the Iran nuclear deal last week. The U.S. and its allies lifted sanctions against Iran when the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog announced that Tehran had kept its promise to scale down its nuclear program to civilian levels.

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But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters Saturday he did not see the deal as a "coming together" of the United States and Iran. "Iran remains the world's chief sponsor of terrorism," Jubeir said. "Overall I think the United States is very aware of the danger of Iran's mischief and nefarious activities."

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However, last week Jubir sparked international outcry when he refused to rule out the possibility of his government seeking nuclear weapons from its ally Pakistan to counter what Riyadh calls the Iranian threat. Even Kerry was alarmed by the news and warned Saudi Arabia against obtaining an atomic bomb.

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