Iran: Saudi Defense Minister's Statements Are Evidence of the Country's Destructive Policies in the Region

Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, reacted on Wednesday to recent statements by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, stating that these remarks are evidence of Saudi Arabia's tension-inducing policies in the region. In an interview the previous day, Mohammed bin Salman accused Iran of seeking dominance over the Islamic world. In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, 'These statements are evidence of promoting terrorism and pursuing the destructive and tension-inducing policies of the Saudis in the region and concerning Iran.' Qasemi further noted that the Saudi Defense Minister's remarks are, at best, 'the result of a misunderstanding of the regional situation.' Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have soured in recent years following the onset of protests in some Arab countries known as the 'Arab Spring.' Following escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the attack on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, Riyadh severed diplomatic ties with Tehran. Saudi Arabia and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council accuse Iran of interfering in Arab countries in the region, a claim that Iran denies. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated on Wednesday, 'Such remarks, while the tension-filled region of West Asia needs understanding and cooperation among countries more than any other region, are politically irrational and considered a strategic misstep.' Meanwhile, the Saudi Defense Minister stated the previous day that since Iran's main goal is to harm Saudi Arabia, there is no possibility of convergence with Tehran. He added that Iran has never had a sincere approach towards Riyadh, and therefore the statements of officials from this country to repair relations seem more like a 'joke.'