Saudi King to UNGA: "We Hope that Talks with Iran Leads to Confidence Building"

"Saudi Arabia's foreign policy is based on supporting dialogue for peace," the King of Saudi Arabia claimed on Wednesday in his pre-recorded address to the UNGA, according to Al Arabiya.

King Salman added, "Peace is a strategic option in the Middle East."

He went on to accuse the Yemeni army and popular committees of targeting civilian targets in the kingdom while claiming "Saudi Arabia respects the national sovereignty of all countries and does not interfere in their internal affairs."

According to Al-Jazeera, the King said that the Houthis were rejecting peaceful initiatives to end the war and that the kingdom would defend itself against ballistic missiles and armed drones.

The King's claims contradict the reality on the ground in Yemen. His kingdom is waging a war and a blockade on the Yemeni nation since 2015 with the support of the US, the UK and the Israeli regime. Riyadh so far has promised to end the blockade and its airstrikes on Yemen in the talks with Yemenis but its words contradict its actions on the ground.

Regarding Iran, he said, "Iran is a neighbor to Saudi Arabia and expressed hope that Riyadh's talks with that country would lead to confidence building."

However, he went on to stress the importance of preventing Iran from possessing "nuclear weapons."

The Saudi king's claim comes despite the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated that Iran's nuclear program is pursued solely for peaceful purposes and that, according to the fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, nuclear weapons are forbidden.