FM: Saudi determined to confront Iranian expansion in the region

The Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubair said Thursday that the kingdom is against any Iranian interference in the Arab world.

"Saudi Arabia is working to confront Iran's trouble-making activities in the region," Jubair said during a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart.

Jubair added: “The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has committed crimes against Arabs but did not commit any crime against Iran.”

This is not the first time Jubair makes a statement about Iran’s meddling in the region. Saudi Arabia has long criticized Iran’s interference in the region, especially with Tehran giving support to the Yemeni Houthi militia group.

During the address, which took place in Amman, Jubair also said that both Saudi Arabia and Jordan share similar positions regarding what is happening in the region.

Jubair, who was visiting Jordan for the first time since assuming his position as foreign minister, added that “Jordan’s stability is important for Saudi Arabia.”

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh also described relations between Riyadh and Amman as “deep and well-established.”

Speaking about the Kingdom’s relations with the United States, Jubair said: “We rely on ourselves and not on the U.S. to preserve our interests.”

“Our relations with the U.S. are strategic ... Washington supports the coalition operations in Yemen.”

A coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia began bombing Houthi militias, the dominant faction in Yemen’s civil war, in March in a campaign to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power shortly after he fled to Saudi Arabia.