RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday ruled out any contact with Israel, with which it has no diplomatic ties, after a British newspaper reported that the two countries could coordinate efforts against Iran.
The kingdom, which is Iran’s chief regional rival, “has no relations or contacts with Israel of any kind or at any level,” said a foreign ministry spokesman, quoted by state news agency SPA.
Under the headline “Two old foes unite against Tehran,” Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper said Israel and Saudi Arabia were working together on “contingency plans for a possible attack on Iran if its nuclear programme is not significantly curbed.” “As part of the growing cooperation, Riyadh is understood already to have given the go-ahead for Israeli planes to use its airspace in the event of an attack on Iran,” it said. The Saudi spokesman said the report was “completely unfounded”.
Russia and Egypt on verge of missile deal
MOSCOW: The head of Russia’s state industrial holding company said yesterday that Moscow was on the verge of reaching a landmark agreement to deliver air defence systems to Egypt’s army. Rostec chief Sergey Chemezov’s comments came in the wake of a visit to Cairo last week by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu devoted to military and diplomatic ties. Chemezov told Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency that “some contracts (with Egypt) have already been signed — particularly one concerning air defence systems.”
Agencies
