Iran's Reaction to the Statement from Egypt and Saudi Arabia: 'Baseless and Insisting on Destructive Mistakes'

In response to the joint statement from Saudi Arabia and Egypt criticizing the Islamic Republic's 'interference' in the affairs of regional countries, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, March 7, described these criticisms as 'baseless and an insistence on past destructive mistakes.' Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, issued a joint statement with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the end of his visit to Egypt, which criticized an 'actor in the region.' Although Iran was not named, the statement said, 'The security of the Arab region cannot be ensured without ending all efforts by a regional actor to interfere in Arab countries' affairs.' Hours later, the Saudi Crown Prince gave an interview, published on Wednesday, March 7, in an Egyptian newspaper, where he sharply criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, labeling them alongside militia groups as the 'modern triangle of evil.' According to the Associated Press, citing the Egyptian newspaper 'Al-Shorouk,' Mohammed bin Salman described the 'Iranian project' as collapsing during the interview. Gulf Arab countries, especially in the past couple of years, have accused Tehran of attempting to interfere in their internal affairs, particularly through the Shiite minority. In response, Iranian officials have consistently denied these accusations, labeling them as 'projection.' In this context, Bahrain announced on Saturday that it had arrested 116 individuals on charges of being part of a 'terrorist cell' allegedly linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. According to the Mehr News Agency, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, responded to this new accusation on Wednesday, again describing it as 'groundless, baseless, and an insistence on past destructive mistakes.' While Qasemi did not mention Egypt and Saudi Arabia by name, Mehr News Agency reported that this was a reaction to the joint statement from the two countries. He added, 'The repetition of imaginary accusations and insistence on a wrong path that has been tested many times and whose futility has been established leads to nothing but a vicious cycle of regional problems.' This Iranian Foreign Ministry official also claimed that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran has always prioritized neighboring countries in its foreign policy.' Many experts believe that Tehran and Riyadh are currently engaged in proxy wars against each other in at least two locations worldwide. Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Saudi Arabia stands with the opponents of Damascus. The situation is reversed in Yemen.