Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned during a ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC )on Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear program could pose a threat to the security of the Gulf region and accused Iran of continuing to interfere in neighboring states.

“Tehran’s work to develop nuclear capabilities, which would allow it in the future to have nuclear weapons, would represent a clear threat to the security and stability of the region.” He said

Tension escalated between Tehran and Riyadh following an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi envoy to Washington.

Iran is also facing four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions over its nuclear program

Relations between Iran and the GCC countries were also strained following a crackdown in March on protests in Bahrain that had been led by the tiny kingdom’s Shiite majority which was supported by the regime in Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon .