Saudi defense minister warns US inaction could strengthen Iran – report

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman warned in a closed-door meeting on Friday that U.S. inaction could embolden Iran’s leadership, according to the Axios news outlet.

During the closed-door meeting in Washington, bin Salman said the “ayatollah regime will only grow stronger” if U.S. President Donald Trump retreats from his warning to use military force unless Tehran halts the killing of Iranian civilians and abandons its nuclear ambitions.

Saudi Arabia has officially opposed a military strike against Iran, citing concerns that Tehran could retaliate by targeting its oil fields and other critical national infrastructure. At the same time, Saudi officials have long warned that they view Iran’s regional ambitions and nuclear program as a direct threat.

Senior U.S. officials, including State Secretary Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, participated in the meeting with bin Salman, along with 15 Middle East experts from research institutes and officials from Jewish organizations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the ayatollah regime on Friday to “listen to peaceful protesters” but blamed “those who want to ride the wave of protests to divide the country and incite unrest,” a reference to the United States, Israel and European nations.

“We are committed to walking the path of justice and standing like a wall against those lying in wait for the Iranian people, from within the country and from outside,” Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian regime has sought to conceal the scale of the crackdown. Tens of thousands of Iranian civilians are believed to have been killed by security forces, and there have been reports alleging the use of “toxic chemical substances” against citizens in various parts of the country.

President Trump has confirmed that he has set a deadline for negotiations with the ayatollah regime. The administration is demanding that Tehran halt the killing of protesters, abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, and end its support for proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The regime has reportedly rejected those conditions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has argued that there is no serious basis for negotiations.

“For talks to be genuine and productive, the atmosphere of threats and pressure must first be removed. If any attack occurs, our response will be harsh and very powerful,” he said.

Iran has threatened to respond to any U.S. strike by targeting Israel, including Tel Aviv and U.S. bases and forces in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the Israeli military would respond to any Iranian attack with unprecedented force.

Meanwhile, Roni Insaz, an Iranian-born former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told The Jerusalem Post that the Iranian citizens need American assistance.

“There is enormous anger among the Iranian people toward Trump. He promised things, and now they feel he’s backing away,” Insaz said. “They love Trump, they love America – but right now they feel abandoned, and it hurts.”

Washington has dispatched significant military forces to the Middle East and pundits believe that a U.S. strike on Iran could be imminent.