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WORLD NEWS Monday 24 april 2017

Saudi king names son as U.S. envoy as ties boosted with Trump

ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI Iran that the Sunni-ruled for more than two years.
AYA BATRAWY kingdom strongly opposed. The Saudi-owned Al-Ara-
Associated Press Saudi Arabia and Iran are biya news website says
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) regional rivals, and back the prince studied briefly
— Saudi Arabia’s King opposing sides in the wars at Harvard University and
Salman issued a decree in Syria and Yemen. Georgetown University.
late Saturday naming one Relations with the Riyadh The news website says he
of his sons, an air force pi- have improved since trained at Nellis Air Force
lot who has taken part in Trump took office. King Base in Nevada, but that
coalition strikes against the Salman dispatched his a back injury forced him to
Islamic State group, as the most powerful son, Deputy stop flying.
kingdom’s new ambassa- Crown Prince Mohammed He has been an adviser at
dor to the U.S. bin Salman, who is also the Saudi Embassy in Wash-
The appointment of Prince defense minister, to meet ington since late last year.
Khaled bin Salman to Trump at the White House U.S. officials say the Trump
Washington signals the last month. administration is consider-
kingdom’s eagerness to Saudi Arabia was quick to ing ways to boost military
strengthen bilateral ties praise Trump’s missile strike support for the Saudi-led
under President Donald on a Syrian military base in fight against Iran-backed
Trump. response to an apparent rebels in Yemen.
As the king’s son, the prince chemical weapons attack The U.S. already is helping In this Wednesday, April 5, 2017 file photo, released by the Saudi
has a direct line to the Sau- on civilians. the Saudis with intelligence Press Agency, SPA, Saudi King Salman, right, and Defense Min-
di monarch. Prince Khaled is a former and logistical support for ister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wave as
Saudi Arabia is the world’s F-15 pilot who graduated the bombing campaign they leave the hall after talks with the British prime minister, in
third largest defense military-aviation training in Yemen, and could assist Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
spender. Prince Khaled’s from Columbus Air Force with greater intelligence Associated Press
appointment positions him Base in Mississippi in 2009 support to counter Iranian the inner Al Saud circle and ued U.S. resolve to end the
as an influential broker in and took part in anti-IS influence there. is not a direct grandson of conflict in Syria.
deals with U.S. manufactur- strikes in 2014 as part of the Prince Khaled will be re- Saudi Arabia’s founder, He said Saudi Royal Air
ers. U.S.-led coalition. placing Prince Abdullah King Abdulaziz. Force jets operating out
Saudi-U.S. relations had He also participated in Al Saud, who served in Days before being relieved of a base in southern Tur-
cooled under the Obama flight missions over Yemen, the post for just 18 months. of his post in Washington, key have conducted more
administration after Wash- where the kingdom has Though a member of the Prince Abdullah published than 340 strikes against Is-
ington pursued a nuclear been bombing a Yemeni royal family, Prince Abdul- an op-ed in the Wall Street lamic State targets in Syria
accord with Shiite-ruled faction aligned with Iran lah was not seen as part of Journal calling for contin- since February.q
Iranian candidate says nuclear deal

failed to lift sanctions

NASSER KARIMI West had failed, adding But he said U.S. President
Associated Press that “sanctions remained Donald Trump’s admin-
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An in place and were even istration had already un-
Iranian presidential candi- intensified.”Under the nu- dermined the agreement,
date said Sunday the land- clear deal, international without elaborating.Last
mark 2015 nuclear agree- sanctions were lifted in ex- week, the State Depart-
ment with world powers change for Iran curbing its ment certified that Iran was
has failed to lift sanctions uranium enrichment, but complying with the nuclear
or improve the country’s separate U.S. sanctions re- deal, but Trump, a longtime
economy. lated to Iran’s ballistic mis- critic of the agreement,
Mostafa Mirsalim, a conser- sile program have been said Tehran was violating
Conservative Iranian presidential candidate Mostafa Mirsalim vative, told a news confer- tightened.Mirsalim said the spirit of the accord and
clenches his fist at the conclusion of his news conference in Teh- ence that President Hassan that, if elected, he would that the U.S. might with-
ran, Iran, Sunday, April 23, 2017. Rouhani’s outreach to the abide by the nuclear deal. draw from it. q