Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Friday that Riyadh has held four rounds of talks with Iran, describing them as “cordial” but lacking significant progress at a time when Tehran's nuclear activities have put the region in “a very dangerous place.”
Speaking to reporters in Washington a day after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Prince Faisal called for a "quick suspension" of Iranian activities breaching the 2015 nuclear agreement and said there should be a "quick resumption" of indirect talks between the US and Iran.
He said Riyadh has spoken with Tehran.
“These interactions have been [of] an exploratory nature, and have not reached a state where we can say we made substantial progress,” said Prince Faisal.
Iran topped Prince Faisal's agenda as he met Mr Blinken and argued that increased pressure on Tehran is inevitable if stalled talks don't make headway.
“You will have to put on the table enough tools that encourage Iran to come to the table. I wish that we wouldn't have to talk about pressure," the prince said.
"I wish that the government of Iran would see that it's in the real interest of the region and its own interest and in the interest of the people or Iran that it’s focused on discovering prosperity… rather than having this excessive focus on trying to expand its influence in the region."
On Lebanon, Prince Faisal described this week's violence in Beirut as “very concerning”, saying Riyadh hopes to see structural changes and a leadership that can address the country's economic and political problems.
Asked if Saudi Arabia plans to invite the new Prime Minister Najib Mikati to Riyadh, Prince Faisal did not give a direct answer.
The Saudi foreign minister welcomed the recent electoral progress in Iraq.
“We are encouraged that the political process in Iraq is healthy,” he said in response to questions from The National.
Prince Faisal expressed openness to work with parties in Baghdad, and said his country is “very engaged and we were very active, especially in the last year.”
On Afghanistan, Prince Faisal said Riyadh has had no contacts with the Taliban, and urged the hardline group to seek a path of reconciliation.
“We would certainly encourage different types of national reconciliation, focused on finding stability, financial security, finding a path to prosperity, that will lead to bring in all the elements of Afghan society," he said.
Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat reiterated his praise for the Abraham Accords, but said Riyadh is not ready to normalise relations with Israel before the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"We are very much convinced that the only way we can have lasting stability is if we find a way to address the issue of Palestine and the issue of a Palestinian state,” he said.
Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia’s relations with China, which have grown in the last three years, did not come up in the meeting with Mr Blinken.
On his trip to Washington, Prince Faisal also met Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran affairs who is due to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the near future.
Mr Malley has said he would co-ordinate with US security partners in the region on Iran to prepare for all contingencies, as the indirect talks to revive the nuclear accord remain at a standstill.
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
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Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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Torque: 320Nm
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
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Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
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Transmission: eight-speed auto
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