Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Calls Arab Group 4 Statement 'Offensive'

Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, strongly criticized the statement from the 'Arab Group 4' that condemned Iran's actions in the region, calling it 'baseless' and 'offensive.' According to IRNA, on Friday, April 24, Qasemi described the statement as a continuation of a trend that, according to him, 'further distances the region from achieving stability and peace.' Without going into details, Qasemi expressed regret that some countries continue to insist on a 'hostile stance and the continuation of erroneous actions' against the Islamic Republic, stating that they have 'forgotten the main enemy.' The 'Arab Group 4' includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt, and the foreign ministers of these four countries, along with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, held a meeting in Riyadh on Thursday. The final statement of this meeting severely criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran for 'interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries,' 'igniting religious and ethnic strife,' 'firing ballistic missiles from Yemen towards Saudi Arabia,' 'supporting terrorist groups in Bahrain,' and other issues. Bahram Qasemi labeled such accusations as 'baseless,' 'groundless,' 'lies,' and 'born of delusion.' The 'Arab Group 4' meeting took place on the sidelines of preliminary meetings of Arab League leaders, which are set to commence on Sunday in Riyadh. During the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran and terrorism are 'two sides of the same coin.' The tone of Iranian and Saudi officials against each other has intensified in recent months, especially after the escalation of the crisis in Yemen and the firing of several missiles at Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels. On Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also reacted to statements made by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling his remarks 'adventurous.' Before returning to his country, during the final stage of his trip to the US and Europe, Mohammed bin Salman stated in a joint press conference with the French President that 'the Iranian government does not act in the interests of its people' and supports terrorism 'against Saudi Arabia.' Emmanuel Macron, the French President, also mentioned in that press conference that 'both sides agree on preventing Iran's expansionism in the Middle East.' In recent weeks, the Saudi Crown Prince has made the strongest and most explicit statements against the policies of the Islamic Republic and Ali Khamenei, recently comparing the leader of the Islamic Republic to Hitler, stating that his country has common interests with Israel regarding Iran. In response to the Saudi Crown Prince's recent remarks, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman urged Saudi officials to look at the history of the region, especially their 'regional ally' Saddam Hussein, and asked French officials not to be influenced by the 'adventurous and warmongering actions of the inexperienced Saudi Crown Prince.' In recent weeks, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has addressed the issue of 'Iran's brazen behavior in the region and the threat of the Islamic Republic to regional stability' in his calls with Arab leaders.