Kerry in Saudi Arabia: US not seeking ‘grand bargain’ with Iran

Kerry was meeting with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, all of which are unnerved by Shiite Iran’s suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons and its increasing assertiveness throughout the region.

US officials said Kerry would reassure them that a deal with Tehran will not allow Iran to get the bomb and won’t mean American complacency on broader security matters. Iran is actively supporting forces fighting in Syria and Iraq and is linked to Shiite rebels who recently toppled the US and Arab-backed government in Yemen.

Kerry was to tell them that no matter what happens with the Iranian nuclear talks, the US would continue to confront “Iranian expansion” and “aggressiveness” in the region and work closely with the Gulf states on security and defense capabilities, according to American officials.

 

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