*RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has said that it “supports and welcomes” PresidentDonald Trump’s decision on Tuesday to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nucleardeal.*

“The kingdom supports and welcomes the steps announced by the US presidenttowards withdrawing from the nuclear deal … and reinstating economicsanctions against Iran,” the foreign ministry said.

Trump on Tuesday announced the US withdrawal from the “defective”multinational nuclear deal with Iran, as Washington moved to reinstatepunishing sanctions against the Islamic republic.

After consulting with US “friends” across the Middle East, Trump said hiscountry would “not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail”.

Following his address, the US leader signed a presidential memorandum tostart reinstating US nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime.

Saudi Arabia accused Iran of “taking advantage of the revenue generated bythe lifting of the sanctions to destabilise the region”, the foreignministry said.