CLAIM

Viral video of Saudi foreign minister announcing the end of reliance on the United States

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search to trace the original video.

Multiple users have been sharing a video on social media platforms X and Facebook since April 14, 2026, claiming it shows Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announcing the end of reliance on the US amid the current tensions in the Middle East. However, the video is old from December 2022 and does not contain any such statement.

The conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28, 2026, after joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military, nuclear, and leadership sites. In response, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones not only toward Israel but also towards US military bases and allied infrastructure across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, significantly widening the scope of the conflict.

Pakistan emerged as a central diplomatic actor in securing the ceasefire between the US and Iran, actively facilitating communication between the two sides at a critical stage of the conflict. The effort resulted in a two-week ceasefire and a 21-hour-long marathon Islamabad Talks on April 11. However, the failure of the talks led to the US military initiating a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on April 13, 2026.

The Saudi defence ministry said on April 11 that Pakistan sent a military force and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to boost security under a joint defence cooperation agreement between the two countries.

HOW IT STARTED

On April 13, an account on X, which appears to be from Saudi Arabia based on its username and past posts, shared a video of Prince Farhan speaking with the following caption: “Saudi sovereignty: National interests above all! ​To those seeking to understand the core of Saudi foreign policy amidst global polarisation, the answer is clear and decisive. As Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated, ​‘The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not set its policies based on the interests of others, but rather on its own interests. We pursue our interests — whether in the West or the East — and wherever we find them, we will work to achieve them.’ ​The era of dependency is over. Riyadh is not a pawn in anyone’s gamble. We move according to a national compass that prioritises our stability, economy, and sovereign rights above any international pressure.”

The post did not mention when and where he was speaking and gained 452,000 views.

The video gained attention and was later widely shared with a claim that Prince Faisal announced the end of reliance on the US after the US’s alleged defeat against Iran in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

A user, who claims to be a broadcast journalist in his bio, shared the same video in the above-mentioned context on April 14, with the following caption: “Breaking: We can no longer stand with Trump; Trump should first save himself, then save us. Saudi Arabia’s major announcement.”

The post garnered 394,000 views on X.

Another user, who claims to be a journalist in her bio, shared the same video on X in a similar context with the following caption: “Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan: Era of relying on others is over, seen as signal for possible US withdrawal from Saudi Arabia, with Pakistan Army filling the gap.”

The post attracted 636,000 views

Another user on X shared the same video in a similar context with the following caption: “What a great U-turn. Listen to Saudi Arabia’s position today: ‘We can no longer stand with Trump; Trump should first save himself, then save us. Saudi Arabia’s major announcement.’ For the first time in over 80 years, the Saudis say no to the US. I call it Saudi Arabia’s U-turn of the century.”

The post gained 469,000 views.

Another account shared the same video on X with the following caption: “Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan: ​’The era of relying on the US has ended. How can Trump protect us when he cannot even protect his own country?“

The post attracted 702,000 views and was liked by 17,000 users.

Similarly, the video with similar claims was widely shared by several other users, including those who appear to be PML-N supporters based on their past posts, on Facebook and X, as can be seen here, here, here, here), here, here and here; collectively accumulating more than 72,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the ongoing US-Israel and Iran conflict, as well as Pakistan’s mediation efforts, along with Saudi Arabia’s strategic role in the evolving regional dynamics.

The transcription of the viral video is provided below:

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and as far as I know, all the Arab countries, do not put their policies based on the interests of others. They put their policies based on their own interests. We will follow our interests, and we will continue to pursue our policies based on those interests, regardless of the points of view.

At the same time, we will remain open to dialogue with all our partners, both in the West and in the East, to ensure that there is a complete understanding of what we are doing and that there is an effort to achieve these common benefits. These common benefits are not only for us with China, but also with the United States and others. We are pursuing our interests, and we find our interests in the West and in the East, and wherever we find them, we will work to achieve them.”

As is evident, no such announcement was made about abandoning Saudi Arabia’s partnership with the US on military and defence affairs.

A keyword search was further conducted to corroborate whether any credible mainstream Saudi, American or international media outlets had reported on such alleged recent remarks, but yielded no results.

A reverse image search was conducted to trace the source of the viral claim, which yielded a similar video from the same press conference posted on YouTube by Al-Saudiya, a Saudi news television channel, of the foreign minister on December 9, 2022, with the title: “His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs: The Saudi economy is in a phase of great expansion and we need many partnerships.”

A keyword search conducted to trace the full press conference yielded a video shared by Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath on Dec 9, 2022, with the following title: “Press conference by the Saudi foreign minister at the conclusion of the Arab-Chinese Summit”.

According to the original video, FM Farhan is seen speaking at a press conference in Riyadh on December 9, 2022, held after the China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit. In this context, he discussed Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy approach and strategic interests, with no mention of the claims made in the viral video.

The viral clip was taken from this speech, specifically from the 37:13-38:02 minute mark, where he can be heard making the same remarks. A review of the full speech confirms that he does not make any of the statements attributed to him in the viral claims, indicating that the clip has been taken out of context and misrepresented.

Furthermore, a keyword search yielded news reports by Saudi media outlets Al Arabiya English and Sada Al-Sahel in the same context, dated December 9, 2022.

The reports confirmed that the minister’s remarks focused on Saudi Arabia’s independent foreign policy and balanced partnerships, with no similarity to the claims made in the viral claim.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows the Saudi foreign minister announcing the end of reliance on the US amid the current tensions in the Middle East is false.

The viral video is old from December 2022 and does not contain any such remarks about the Saudi-US relationship.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

December 9, 2022, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ee0-z8mvc

December 9, 2022, full YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/c0f-aOsVXFw?si=Ob14jB4Y0EHMchuh&t=2233

December 9, 2022, Al Arabiya English news story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/saudi-arabia/2022/12/09/Saudi-Arabia-does-not-believe-in-choosing-between-one-partner-and-another-FM

December 9, 2022, Sada Al Sahel news report:
https://www.sada-alsahel.net/news/98763