Iran's Foreign Ministry: Saudi Arabia is the 'Godfather of Takfiri Terrorism in the World'

Iranian officials, in separate statements attacking Saudi Arabia, labeled the country as the 'Godfather of Takfiri Terrorism' and 'the heart of evil in the region and the world.' Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, described the recent remarks of Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as 'baseless and filled with hatred,' stating that 'his words, which have a long history of lying and animosity towards Iran and Iranians, will never change the fact that the real godfather of Takfiri terrorism in the world and the region is none other than his government.' Adel al-Jubeir had previously rejected accusations from Iranian officials regarding Saudi involvement in a recent attack on a bus carrying members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and labeled the Islamic Republic as 'the biggest supporter of terrorism.' Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, also referred to Saudi Arabia as 'the heart of evil in the region and the world' during a memorial for the victims of the bus attack, warning that 'the House of Saud should know it will not last.' Following the suicide attack on the bus on the road from Khash to Zahedan, which resulted in 27 deaths, Iranian officials pointed fingers directly at Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while also warning Pakistan. Previously, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the IRGC commander, had explicitly accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of conspiring against the Islamic Republic 'at the behest of the Israelis and Americans.' These statements have led to a new wave of criticism and warnings from Iranian officials towards Saudi Arabia. Bahram Qasemi, during a press conference, described Saudi Arabia as 'the birthplace of fundamentalist thought and a source of organized terrorism on an international level,' asserting that it fundamentally lacks any credibility to accuse other countries of supporting terrorism. He advised Adel al-Jubeir to stop deflecting blame and instead address the rooted terrorism within the Saudi governance structure and recount the grave human rights violations resulting from its military aggression against the Yemeni people and the slaughter of innocent people in other countries. Qasemi also referenced the issuance of 'resolutions by human rights organizations regarding gross human rights violations in Saudi Arabia,' noting that despite this, the country continues to receive support from the U.S. and Western societies. He expressed Iran's expectation for Pakistan to take firmer action against terrorist groups using its territory to plan and execute operations against Iran. On Sunday, February 17, Iran summoned the Pakistani ambassador in Tehran in response to the bus attack, and the Iranian Parliament Speaker warned Pakistan that failing to act against armed groups opposing the Islamic Republic would severely damage the level of cooperation between the two countries. Concurrently, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began his Asian tour on Sunday with a visit to Pakistan, where contracts worth $20 billion for Riyadh's investment in Pakistan were signed. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has visited Saudi Arabia twice since last summer, expressed gratitude for Riyadh's support during the Crown Prince's visit, stating that 'Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are now elevating their relations to an unprecedented level.'