Iran's Interior Minister: Saudi Arabia Provides Financial and Informational Support to 'Outlaws' in Eastern Iran

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Interior Minister, accused Saudi Arabia on Thursday of providing financial and informational support to 'outlaws' in the eastern part of the country. Speaking at the Resistance Economy Headquarters in Khorasan Razavi, Rahmani Fazli stated that there is no 'concern about external threats,' adding that while such threats exist, Iran is not worried because its capacity to counter these threats is so strong that the enemy would not even consider taking practical action. However, he acknowledged that there are internal weaknesses that could provide a basis for the enemies' ambitions, asserting that Iran's power will remain stable and continuous as long as there is cohesion and unity within the country. The Iranian Minister emphasized that there is no doubt that all imperialist countries are seeking to create unpleasant events in Iran and are spending significant resources in this regard. For instance, he claimed that Saudi Arabia is stationed in the east of the country and is providing financial and informational assistance to outlaws. This is not the first time Iranian officials have accused Saudi Arabia of aiding opposition groups in the east of the country; previously, several high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, including Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Revolutionary Guard and Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, and Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, have accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to create insecurity in southeastern Iran and of 'sending weapons' and supporting 'terrorist groups' in that region. The Sistan and Baluchestan province has seen repeated clashes between Iranian military forces and groups that the Islamic Republic labels as 'outlaws and terrorist groups' in recent years. Following a speech by Turki al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence, at a meeting of the Mujahideen-e Khalq in Paris, Mohsen Rezaei and some other Iranian officials accused Saudi Arabia of having a role in recent conflicts in western provinces of Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia have had disagreements over regional issues in recent years, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries. Following the Arab Spring in several Arab countries, Iran and Saudi Arabia found themselves on opposing sides in various unrests, including in Syria and Yemen. While Iran supports Bashar al-Assad against the opposition, Saudi Arabia backs the Syrian government's opponents. Saudi Arabia and Arab countries have intervened militarily in Yemen to support the legitimate government, while Iran supports the Houthi Shiite militants in Yemen. These disagreements have strained relations between the two countries. Last year, following the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shiite cleric and critic of the Saudi government, protests were held outside the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, which ultimately led to attackers entering the embassy and setting part of it on fire. In response to this event, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran.