The Iranian regime’s backing is keeping Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in power, Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud has told a meeting of the European Council.
Prince Turki, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, said Assad remained in power because of the Iranian backed militia including Hezbollah and the regime’s Revolutionary Guards.
He told the European Council on Foreign Relations: "As long as Iran continues interfering in Arab affairs, our relations will remain strained and belligerent.
"Remove the Iranians and I would bet that it wouldn’t take more than a few weeks to bring Assad to his knees. We have to negate Assad’s military superiority because he won’t negotiate until then.
"Dilly-dallying is what allowed [Al-Qaeda linked] Jabhat Al-Nusra to enter the fray. Had the US and Europe listened to the kingdom and provided the opposition with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, we would not have had to deploy our air force against ISIL now."
Prince Turki, the former director-general of the Kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate, had also said in October: "It is up to the Iranians to show that their sweet and sensible talk is going to be translated into action. When and if that happens then there is a chance for the situation between, not just the Kingdom and Iran, but also between Iran and the rest of the world to improve."
Prince Turki added that the kingdom had been direct in its dealings with Iran, and had told its officials: "You can’t have it both ways. You can’t deal with us and then go and support somebody who wants to overturn us."
He added: "And this is what they’ve been doing in Lebanon, this is what they’ve been doing in Syria, this is what they’re doing in Bahrain, and what they’re doing in Iraq. So this is how we deal with Iran."
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