A Member of Parliament: Iran Can Detain Dozens of Saudi Citizens in Retaliation

Hosseyn Naqvi Hosseini, spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, on Tuesday, July 5, accused Saudi Arabia of detaining Iranians in that country and warned that "Iran can detain dozens of Saudi citizens in retaliation against the Saudis." According to the House of Parliament News Agency, he stated: "The Saudis are detaining our citizens who travel to Saudi Arabia for trade or Umrah pilgrimage." The newspaper "Al-Riyadh" reported on Sunday, July 4, that "Saudi security forces arrested 3 Iranians three days before the terrorist operation at the Grand Mosque in Mecca." This newspaper cited the reason for the arrest of these three Iranians as being related to "anti-security activities" in Saudi Arabia. However, Al-Riyadh did not provide details about the identity of those arrested. The newspaper also noted that 9 Iranians are currently in detention. Following this, Aladdin Boroujerdi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, described the Al-Riyadh report as "clumsy news fabrication" and "media mischief" in an interview with ISNA news agency. According to the House of Parliament, Hosseyn Naqvi Hosseini, in another part of his remarks, rejected "any participation of Iranian citizens in terrorist attacks against Saudi Arabia" and added: "Iran can detain dozens of Saudi citizens in retaliation against the Saudis, as there is evidence of Riyadh's support for terrorist attacks against Tehran." Previously, Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of interfering in Iran's internal affairs and supporting the Islamic State (ISIS). In this context, Mr. Naqvi Hosseini criticized what he called Saudi Arabia's "hostile approach," adding: "It is no secret that Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS, and dozens of other terrorist groups are products of Wahhabi religious schools with American agendas." However, Riyadh has denied these accusations and accused Tehran of interfering in its internal affairs. In this regard, the Saudi Ministry of Security announced on June 18 that it had arrested three members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who had approached its "Marjan oil platforms" in the Persian Gulf on a boat "carrying weapons." In response, Rasoul Sanaei Rad, the political deputy of the IRGC, denied the arrest of these military personnel by Saudi Arabia. Relations between the two countries have soured following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Riyadh and Tehran also accuse each other of interfering in the affairs of Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran regarding the dispatch of "Iranian pilgrims for the Hajj" stated: "The issue of sending pilgrims was discussed in a meeting before the recent events with the presence of relevant officials from the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, but given the current situation, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission may take new measures or decisions." He did not provide further details on this matter. Additionally, Kamal Dehghani Firouzabadi, the deputy head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, said on Tuesday to the House of Parliament news agency: "The fabrication of claims against Iranian citizens regarding the fishing boats from Bushehr or the detention of Iranian citizens in Mecca is an attempt to divert attention from the issue of the crown prince's war and to conceal Saudi support for terrorism." He denied accusations related to Iran's involvement in terrorist attacks in that country, stating: "Saudi hostile actions against Iranian citizens do not send good messages for performing Hajj and the presence of our pilgrims."