US 'Not Interested' In Khamenei's Views On Saudi-Israel Normalization

Washington says it has no interest in Supreme Leader Khamenei's perspective on the ongoing normalization of ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

On Tuesday, embittered by the region’s rapidly warming ties to Iran’s archenemy Israel, he stated that governments engaging in normalization would be “betting on a losing horse”.

In response, Deputy US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel commented during a press briefing, "I’m not sure that we are really interested in the supreme leader’s point of view on this, when it comes to what we think could be a potentially transformative normalization agreement for the region."

Referring to US-brokered talks underway to formalize Saudi-Israel relations, he asserted that the benefits of normalization, including building a united force against Iran’s regional proxies, far outweighs any such talk of risk.

Saudi would be the latest country to join the transformative normalization begun under the Abraham Accords in 2020, when countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke a decades long stalemate, resulting in huge economic benefits in addition to security ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also dismissed the Iranian leader’s statement.

“While Khamenei’s terrorist regime exports ruin and destruction, Israel is advancing progress and peace,” Netanyahu said.