SAUDI ARABIA on Thursday played down the significance of a visit by Hamas leaders, saying it was only a religious pilgrimage and Riyadh's position on the Palestinian Islamist movement was unchanged. “There was no (political) visit by Hamas to the Kingdom,” Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry. The official Saudi Press Agency reported last Saturday on the rare Hamas visit. “A group from Hamas, including (politburo chief) Khaled Meshaal... visited Makkah for Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage). They performed the Eid prayers there and offered Eid greetings to the King,” Jubeir said. “There were no meetings.” Jubeir described as inaccurate and exaggerated media reports that the visit was political in nature. Saudi Arabia is a strong supporter of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, and of Egypt's government, both of which are at odds with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip. “The position of the Kingdom toward Hamas has not changed, nor its positions concerning supporting the (Palestinian) Authority and Egypt's efforts to preserve stability and security,” Jubeir said, referring to “some exaggeration” about the visit. Hamas said in a statement last weekend that the delegation, including Meshaal's deputy Mussa Abu Marzuk, also met Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior; and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense. Ties between Hamas and Riyadh deteriorated after the Kingdom supported the Egyptian army's 2013 ouster of president Mohamed Morsi and its crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood. The exiled Meshaal has been based in Doha since he abandoned Damascus in 2012 after the group sided with Syrian rebels against Iranian-backed President Bashar Al-Assad. The Hamas visit triggered press criticism in Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Muhammad received Shoukry in Jeddah on Wednesday. During the meeting, which was attended by senior officials, the two men discussed bilateral cooperation and ways of improving ties. They also spoke about regional and international matters, Saudi Press Agency reported. Iran deal Al-Jubeir said the Iran nuclear deal appears to have the provisions needed to curtail Iran's ability to obtain an atomic weapon. His remarks were the most favorable so far from the Kingdom, which has been skeptical of the US-led deal struck earlier this month between world powers and Iran. Al-Jubeir said the Kingdom has been reassured by Washington while consultations continue about the deal. He says it allows for effective inspections, including of military sites, and the possibility of snap-back sanctions. Al-Jubeir, who visited Washington in mid-July, says the Saudis are “currently in talks with the American government regarding these details, but it (the deal) generally seems to have achieved these objectives.” US Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the Kingdom Wednesday. — Agencies
