US, S Arabia agree to stop Iran getting N weapons

RITADH, July 16 (Reuters/BBC): The United States and Saudi Arabia agreed on the importance of stopping Iran from "acquiring a nuclear weapon", during a visit by US President Joe Biden, a joint statement carried by the Saudi state news agency (SPA) said.

The statement said Biden also affirmed the United States' continued commitment to supporting "Saudi Arabia's security and territorial defence, and facilitating the Kingdom's ability to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats."

Tehran and Riyadh, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016 over backing opposing sides in proxy wars across the region, from Yemen to Syria and elsewhere.

Saudi Arabia and the United States underscored the need to further deter Iran's interference in "the internal affairs of other countries, its support for terrorism through its armed proxies, and its efforts to destabilise the security and stability of the region," the statement said.

Both sides stressed the importance of preserving the free flow of commerce through strategic international waterways such as the Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz.

In 2015, Iran signed a deal with six major powers to limit its nuclear programme to make it harder to obtain a weapon in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Iran says its nuclear programme seeks only civilian atomic energy.

Biden says he raised the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Mr Biden is in Saudi Arabia to rebuild relations, having previously promised to make the country a "pariah" over its human rights record.

He said he had made it clear the killing in 2018 was "vitally important to me and the United States".