Iran's Reaction to Jabir's Statements on the 'Aggressive Behavior' of the Islamic Republic

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the statements of the Saudi Foreign Minister regarding the 'aggressions' of the Islamic Republic as 'rhetoric and a repetition of baseless claims' and accused the country of 'destabilizing' the region and 'pressuring political officials of other countries to resign.' Bahram Qasemi stated on Friday, November 17, that in recent years, 'apart from human rights violations, sowing discord among Arab and Islamic countries, economic blockade of neighbors, threatening other countries by dragging war into their territory, inciting unrest among minorities and ethnicities, and intervening in others' affairs to destabilize and disrupt international agreements, the Saudi government has not taken any positive action.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Mr. Qasemi added that 'such policies are a serious warning for the entire region and the world that must be stopped as soon as possible.' He said that 'the gestures and deflections of the Saudi Foreign Minister will undoubtedly not lessen the burden of responsibility on that country for undermining stability and security in the region.' Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, stated on Thursday, November 16, in an interview with Reuters that Riyadh's actions in the Middle East are in response to what he described as 'Iran's aggressions.' He emphasized, 'From any angle you look at the issue, it is Iran that has aggressive behavior. We respond to this aggression and say: enough is enough. We will not allow you to behave this way anymore.' Al-Jubeir also mentioned in a joint press conference with his French counterpart in Riyadh that Hezbollah in Lebanon is 'a weapon in Iran's hands that has taken the ruling system in Lebanon hostage and threatens the stability of this country.' Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, also expressed concerns about Iran's 'interventions' and 'hegemonic' intentions in the region during the same conference. In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Paris of having a 'one-sided and biased' approach to crises in the Middle East. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have intensified following a recent missile attack on Riyadh's international airport, which was carried out from Yemen. Riyadh claims that Tehran was involved in this attack by supplying missiles to the Houthis, which it considers a declaration of war against Saudi Arabia, an accusation that Iran denies. The resignation of Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, in Riyadh has added to the issues between the two countries, with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, accusing Saudi Arabia of forcing Hariri to resign and detaining him to 'destabilize' Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of 'pressuring political officials of other countries to resign and undermining their dignity.' Both countries accuse each other of interfering in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad in January 2016 led to the severing of relations between the two countries.