Saudi Arabia on Thursday voiced sharp criticism of the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement, warning against proposed changes to the security framework governing the Strait of Hormuz and expressing deep skepticism about Tehran’s intentions.

Speaking publicly, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Strait of Hormuz functioned “perfectly well” before the recent conflict and questioned why a new mechanism should now be imposed.

“Ships passed freely and there were no security or environmental problems,” he said. “Why, because of this conflict, should we now accept a new and unprecedented mechanism that will be imposed on these straits? It doesn’t make sense.”

According to the Saudi foreign minister, the region should return to the pre-war status quo rather than adopt a new arrangement.

Bin Farhan also stressed that Saudi Arabia’s trust in Iran has been severely damaged.

“Iran did not attack only us, but all the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” he said, referring to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. “That caused a significant loss of trust.”

He noted that Riyadh and Tehran had only recently begun rebuilding diplomatic relations after years of hostility.

“That process had just begun to gain momentum, but now we’ve gone backward,” he said. “We now need to discuss how we can restore trust and revive those relations.”

The remarks underscore growing concern among Gulf Arab states over the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and its potential impact on regional security.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)