The United States is currently facing opposition from Israel and Saudi Arabia in its engagement with Iran, says investigative journalist Wayne Madsen.<\/p>\n
�œThe US has made a strategic decision to engage with Iran and now we face opposition from two countries that have always been covertly allied with one another, Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Madsen told Press TV on Saturday.<\/p>\n
�œBoth are aiming to upset US policy not only with regard to negotiations with Iran over the nuclear issue but also the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank,” he stated.<\/p>\n
�œWe�™ve seen the Israelis and the Saudis now once again coming closer together in their covert access that they�™ve maintained for a number of years to try to stop American foreign policy from proceeding in the Middle East,” he added.<\/p>\n
Madsen said that �œthis has awakened a lot of people in Washington to the true nature of the Israeli and Saudi governments.”<\/p>\n
The ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva have caused a rift between the US and Israel over the prospect of loosening of sanctions imposed against Iran.<\/p>\n
The White House has offered to relax sanctions against Tehran with progress of negotiations currently held between Iran and the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany in Geneva.<\/p>\n
A top US administration official told reporters on Thursday that easing sanctions “would put time on the clock to give room for us to negotiate a comprehensive final agreement.”<\/p>\n
However, Washington�™s proposal has infuriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n
“Israel is completely opposed to these proposals,” Netanyahu said on Thursday. “I believe that adopting them would be a mistake of historic proportions and they should be completely rejected.”<\/p>\n
AT\/HJ<\/p>\n