Saudi king describes Iran's nuclear program as new regional crisis
Pakistan Times Wire Service

RIYADH: Iran's nuclear program has added one more crisis to the region that needs to be contained, along with the sectarian conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon, King Abdullah said Saturday.

Saudi Arabia is also seeking to ensure "fair" oil prices and increase its oil production capacity so that it can meet its domestic and international commitments.

In his annual address to the unelected Consultative Council, the closest thing Saudi Arabia has to a parliament, the king also called for national unity and pledged to continue the fight against terrorism until the militants either "come to their senses or are uprooted from Saudi society."

The king delivered a summary of his speech, but the full text was distributed to the media at the council.

Abdullah's speech came amid Arab fears that the sectarian turmoil in Iraq, tension in Lebanon and Iran's contentious nuclear program could lead to chaos that would engulf the whole region.

Riyadh has embarked on an aggressive push to resolve the crises, sending envoys to Iran, talking to Shiite and Sunni Iraqis and urging Lebanon's feuding leaders to sit together and talk.●