MbS made the remarks at an annual speech to the advisory Shura Council, which he gave on behalf of his father, King Salman
mena9 hours ago
Iran's military chief and a close ally to the Supreme Leader expressed his support on Saturday for the country's nuclear deal with world powers, a key endorsement for the accord that faces strong opposition from hardliners.
Conservative members of the Iranian parliament and chief commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, have sharply criticised the deal, saying it undermined the Islamic Republic's military capabilities.
While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not publicly approved or disapproved of the deal, he has told officials and experts to take legal procedures to ensure the other side does not breach it, saying some of the world powers involved were untrustworthy.
Major-General Hassan Firouzabadi listed 16 "advantages" to the deal, which Iran signed in Vienna in July, without detailing any drawbacks.
"The armed forces have the most concerns about the effect of the deal on Iran's defence capabilities ... but this agreement and the UN Security Council resolution have many advantages that the critics ignore," Firouzabadi was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
The agreement, a major initiative for both US President Barack Obama and Iran's pragmatic President Hasan Rohani, has been met with resistance from hardliners in both countries.
"The tone of the UN Security Council resolution has changed compared to the previous ones. Regarding Iran's missile activities, it doesn't order but only asks for Iran's compliance," Firouzabadi said, referring to an international resolution passed in the wake of the deal.
Iran's procedures for ratifying the accord are not known in any detail. Whatever the eventual role of parliament or the National Security Council, the deal will have to be approved by Khamenei, the country's highest authority. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
MbS made the remarks at an annual speech to the advisory Shura Council, which he gave on behalf of his father, King Salman
mena9 hours ago
His visit to Cairo aimed to salvage stalled negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to end the conflict
world9 hours ago
The group accused Israel, which has so far refused to comment, as US denies involvement
mena9 hours ago
Hundreds of pagers belonging to the armed group exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday, killed 12 people, including two children, and wounded up to 2,800 others
world9 hours ago
They view it as a pivotal move toward fostering inclusivity and diversity in corporate structures
uae9 hours ago
Israel has not yet commented on the explosions
europe10 hours ago
The meeting saw engaging discussions on Sinomach’s strategic initiatives and ongoing projects in the region
economy10 hours ago