WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. will help Mideast allies defend themselves against any Iranian-supported unrest after holding the Obama administration’s first Cabinet-level meeting with a regional partner since the Iran nuclear deal.
His Saudi Arabian counterpart stopped short of endorsing the accord.
Kerry said he’d travel to the region Aug. 3 to brief American allies on the deal. He vowed to push back against Shiite Iran if it supports extremism – a concern of the Gulf’s Sunni monarchies.
Saudi Foreign Minister Al-Jubeir said he supports a deal that prevents Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability, includes tough inspections and quickly re-imposes sanctions if Iran cheats. He said his country was still examining the deal and would need time to get questions answered.