Basij Commander: The U.S. is Behind the Attack on the Saudi Embassy

The commander of the Basij force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has stated that the U.S. is behind the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, amidst conflicting reactions from Iranian officials regarding the incident. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, in remarks reported by ISNA on Tuesday, January 22, called for strengthening 'insight in enemy recognition' and stated: 'Behind all our enmities and problems, as the Imam said, is America. The U.S. is also behind the martyrdom of Sheikh Nimr and the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.' These comments are the latest reaction to the group attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, which occurred on December 12 in protest of the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a dissident Shia cleric, by Riyadh. In this incident, the Saudi embassy was set on fire, and the consulate in Mashhad also suffered damage. Iranian officials, seemingly caught off guard by the widespread repercussions of this attack, have made contradictory statements over the past 10 days regarding the perpetrators, ranging from infiltrators, supporters of Ayatollah Seyyed Sadiq Shirazi, English-speaking Shias, and 'hidden hands' to the embassy's own agents, who have been accused of setting the embassy building on fire. However, statements and support from some Friday prayer leaders for the attackers suggest that these individuals were affiliated with certain military institutions of the Islamic Republic. Ali Motahari, a principlist member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has also identified the police as the 'main culprit' in this attack. In further reactions, the Basij commander identified the U.S. as the hidden force behind the attack, stating: 'America's goal is to create conflict in the region and to engage us with Saudi Arabia, which we should not fall for.' According to ISNA, Mohammad Reza Naqdi referred to the members of the Saudi embassy as 'servants and lackeys,' expressing the opinion that 'a revolutionary individual attacks the king's palace to eliminate tyranny, not the house of the king's servant.' He claimed that 'the execution of Sheikh Nimr and the attack on the Saudi embassy are paving the way for advancing U.S. policies in the region,' and that the Americans want to 'change the main enemy in the public opinion of Iran and lower the level of Iran's struggles from confrontation with America to confrontation with Saudi Arabia.' The attack on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad has triggered a wave of regional and international reactions, leading to the severance of relations between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Somalia, Sudan, Comoros, and Djibouti with Iran. Some other countries have also downgraded their diplomatic relations with Tehran. The government of Hassan Rouhani has promised that the perpetrators of the attack will be punished and has asked the judiciary to address this case immediately and out of turn. Security and police officials have reported the arrest of about 60 individuals in connection with this attack, and the Tehran prosecutor's office has stated that investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, a severe verbal war has erupted between Tehran and Riyadh, with the foreign policy officials of both countries accusing each other of creating tensions and inciting violence in the Middle East. Efforts by some countries to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia have yet to yield results.