Iran's Reaction to Turki Al-Faisal's Presence at the Mojahedin Gathering

The spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an official from Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly protested the presence of Turki Al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence, at a meeting of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group, deeming it a sign of Saudi Arabia's 'collaboration' in what they describe as 'terroristic' actions of this group. On Sunday, July 20, the IRGC spokesperson, Ramadan Sharif, stated that Al-Faisal's presence at the MEK meeting was indicative of Saudi Arabia's 'participation and complicity' in the group's alleged 'terroristic' activities in Iran. He also emphasized that 'the efforts of foreign media and Saudis to revive' the MEK are 'doomed to failure.' Sharif accused Saudi Arabia of providing 'extensive financial support' to groups like the MEK, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban under the directives and strategies of the United States and Israel. Referring to Al-Faisal's remarks about the 'death' of Massoud Rajavi, he added that 'the House of Saud is also a dying entity that will soon meet the despised leader of the hypocrites.' The former head of Saudi intelligence referred to Massoud Rajavi as 'the late' during a gathering of the National Council of Resistance in Paris on Saturday. Shahin Qabadi, spokesperson for the MEK, claimed that Al-Faisal's comments about Rajavi were misinterpreted and drawn incorrect conclusions. Massoud Rajavi, who led the MEK, has not appeared in public for years, fueling rumors about his death. Iran considers the MEK a terrorist organization; the U.S. and the EU previously classified the group as terrorist but later removed it from their lists. The Iranian Foreign Ministry's website described Al-Faisal's presence at the MEK meeting as 'political audacity and folly.' An unnamed source from the Foreign Ministry accused Saudi Arabia of using 'terrorism' as a tool to advance its goals in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other countries. In response to chants from some participants at the MEK meeting, Al-Faisal stated, 'I too want the regime of the Islamic Republic to be overthrown.' His comments come amid severely strained relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which deteriorated further after attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad last January, leading Saudi Arabia and some allies, including Bahrain and Sudan, to sever ties with Iran. Prior to this incident, Iran's policies in the region, including in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, have been at odds with those of Saudi Arabia and some regional countries, including Turkey. While Tehran supports Bashar al-Assad, these countries back opposition groups against the Syrian government. In the Yemen conflict, Iran supports the Houthi Shiite militants and supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, while Saudi Arabia is at war with the Houthi militants to support the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In this context, the MEK spokesperson reacted to Al-Faisal's comments about Massoud Rajavi, while thousands of National Council of Resistance supporters gathered in Paris.