Saudi Arabia denies cooperation with Israel over Iran

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has denied a report published by Britain’s Sunday Times claiming that it would allow Israeli jets to use the kingdom’s airspace in an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In response to the report, Osama Nugali, spokesman for the Saudi foreign minister, told AFP Monday, “Of course this is not true. We don't have any kind of relationship with the Israelis.”

The Sunday Times reported that the head of Mossad, Meir Dagen, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility of Israel flying aircrafts over Saudi Arabia in an attack against Iran. “The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of Israel and Saudi Arabia,” the Sunday Times quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

“Our policy is very transparent and our position is very firm regarding any kind of relation with Israel,” Nugali said. “Fortunately, these continuous allegations are not taken seriously.”

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied the report calling it “fundamentally wrong and baseless.”