Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman said the Kingdom would not consider opening a direct channel of communication with Iran as long as it is committed to exporting its exclusivist ideology, engaging in terrorism, and violating the sovereignty of other nations. In an interview with the US Foreign Affairs Magazine, Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom has much to lose from cooperation with Tehran unless it reconsiders its course. Asked about the threat posed by terrorist organizations, Prince Mohammed said the threat can be contained and defeated, given the will of stronger states, such as Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, besides Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom has been a victim of terrorism in cities and urban centers, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Khobar, Makkah, Taif, and Yanbu. He said,"It was the longest and most intense domestic struggle against the Saudi monarchy since the establishment of the modern Saudi state." Prince Mohammed rejected the American analysts' charges of "Wahhabism equaling terrorism." He argued that the history of Islamic militancy has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia's religious doctrine. He asked, "If Wahhabism was created 300 years ago, where was terrorism then. Why did it appear only recently?" On the Saudi-American relations and Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) and the election of Donald Trump as US President, Prince Mohammed said he has confidence in the ability of rational American officials and legislators to come up with a solution to JASTA. On economic relations with the US, Prince Mohammed said with a business-minded president in the Oval Office, he will focus on leveraging the major economic opportunities within the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative to get the United States on board with Saudi Arabia's transformation. He noted that he would like to restart the bilateral strategic dialogue that was interrupted during the Obama years for reasons that remain unclear. "Trump might be receptive to such a dialogue," the Deputy Crown Prince said.
