Latest Adel al-Jubeir Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• I don't believe in the theory that the United States is reducing its presence in the Middle East. Quite the contrary, in the Gulf, we see an increase in American military presence, as well as an increase in American investments. The argument is more accurate when one says America is focusing more attention to the Far East. But I don't believe it comes at the expense of the Middle East.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Military, Believe, America

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We support any deal that denies Iran nuclear weapons, that has a continuous and robust inspection mechanism and that has snap-back provisions in case Iran violates the agreement. Our concern is that Iran will use the income it receives as a result of the lifting of the nuclear sanctions in order to fund its nefarious activities in the region.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Agreement, Iran, Order

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• People are saying, "Oh my God, Saudi Arabia has changed." It's a contradiction. Do you want us to lead, or do you want us to play a supporting role?

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Play, People, Arabia

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We can't do both. If you want us to lead, don't criticize us. And if you want us to play a supporting role, then tell us who is going to lead.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Play, Roles, Want

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• What we want is stability and security so we can focus on our own development. But we have these problems in our region, and nobody has been able to resolve them. The whole world was saying that the countries of the regions should step up and resolve their problems, so we stepped up.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Country, Focus, Development

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We have no interest in seeing an unstable Yemen or seeing a Yemen that is devastated.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Yemen, Unstable, Interest

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We have a legal system, and this is not something that happens all the time. We have capital punishment. America has capital punishment. Iran has capital punishment. Iran hangs people and leaves their bodies hanging on cranes. Iran put to death more than a thousand people last year. I don't see EU reporting on it.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Iran, Years, Punishment

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• The war in Yemen is not a war that we wanted. We had no other option - there was a radical militia allied with Iran and Hezbollah that took over the country. It was in possession of heavy weapons, ballistic missiles and even an air force. Should we stand by idly while this happens at our doorstep, in one of the countries in which al-Qaida has a huge presence? So we responded, as part of a coalition, at the request of the legitimate government of Yemen, and we stepped in to support them.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Country, War, Government

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• You cannot lecture another people about what you think is right or wrong based on your value system unless you're willing to accept others imposing their value system on you.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Thinking, People, Lectures

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Just like we respect your legal system, you [europeans] should respect our legal system. You cannot impose your values on us, otherwise the world will become the law of the jungle. Every society decides what its laws are, and it's the people who make decisions with regards to these laws.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Law, People, Decision

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• It seems people don't read or listen. Our scholars and our media have been very outspoken. We were the first country in the world to hold a national public awareness campaign against extremism and terrorism. Why would we not want to fight an ideology whose objective is to kill us?

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Country, Fighting, Media

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We have a legal system, and we have a penal code. We have the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, and people should respect this.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  People, Arabia, Legal System

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Daesh is attacking us. Their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, wants to destroy the Saudi state. These people are criminals. They're psychopaths.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  People, Leader, Criminals

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Daesh members wear shoes. Does this mean everybody who wears shoes is Daesh?

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Mean, Shoes, Doe

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• The Iranians know what they need to do in order to become a responsible member of the international community and in order to become a good neighbor, and it's really up to them to change their behavior.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Order, Community, Needs

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• There is nothing to encourage. The Iranians should just stay away from us.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Should

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Iran is the only country around the negotiating table that has not been attacked by either al-Qaida or Daesh.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Country, Iran, Tables

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Show me one Iranian diplomat we killed! I can show you many Saudi diplomats who were killed by Iran.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Iran, Diplomats, Show Me

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We don't tolerate terrorism. We go after the terrorists and those who support them and those who justify their actions.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Support, Action, Terrorism

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• As long as Iran's aggressive policies continue, it's going to be bad for the region. Iran has to decide whether it wants a revolution or a nation-state.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Iran, Long, Want

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• After the revolution of 1979, Iran embarked on a policy of sectarianism. Iran began a policy of expanding its revolution, of interfering with the affairs of its neighbors, a policy of assassinating diplomats and of attacking embassies. Iran is responsible for a number of terrorist attacks in the Kingdom, it is responsible for smuggling explosives and drugs into Saudi Arabia. And Iran is responsible for setting up sectarian militias in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen, whose objective is to destabilize those countries.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Country, Iran, Iraq

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We want to have good ties with the Iranians, but if they want good ties with us, then I tell them: Don't keep attacking us as you have done for the last years.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Years, Ties, Attacking Us

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Iran has been a neighbor for millenia, and will continue to be a neighbor for millenia. We have no issue with seeking to develop the best terms we can with Iran.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Iran, Issues, Neighbor

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground. It will allow the moderate opposition to be able to neutralize the helicopters and aircraft that are dropping chemicals and have been carpet-bombing them, just like surface-to-air missiles in Afghanistan were able to change the balance of power there.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Believe, Air, Balance

  Source: www.spiegel.de

• Other than our disagreement over Syria, I would say our relationship with Russia is very good and we are seeking to broaden and deepen it. Twenty million Russians are Muslims. Like Russia, we have an interest in fighting radicalism and extremism. We both have an interest in stable energy markets. Even the disagreement over Syria is more of a tactical one than a strategic one. We both want a unified Syria that is stable in which all Syrians enjoy equal rights.

  Adel al-Jubeir

  Fighting, Russia, Rights

  Source: www.spiegel.de