Gulf States stay silent after interim Iran deal

International (IraqiNews.com) Officials of Gulf Arab states traditionally wary of Iran were silent on Friday about an initial deal intended to curb the nuclear program of their regional rival, and state-owned media made only passing mention of the development.

The main evening television news in Saudi Arabia broadcast a segment on the agreement only 40 minutes into its program.

A senior Gulf Arab official said any reaction would come in coming days not from individual countries but from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), an alliance of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Another Gulf source said a reaction would come only after GCC members had made a thorough study of the agreement.

Speaking shortly before the news was announced, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, said Riyadh could not comment until it saw the details of any accord.

“Everybody wants a good deal that prevents Iran from developing an atomic bomb,” he said in Washington. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly hinted that it would seek its own atomic weapons if Tehran ever did the same. /End/