Iran's Response to Allegations of Involvement in Missile Attack on Riyadh

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the claims made by the Saudi Foreign Minister regarding the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the missile attack on Riyadh and the call for sanctions against the Islamic Republic due to its missile program as "baseless," "illogical," and "ridiculous and insulting." According to IRNA news agency, Bahram Qasemi accused the Saudi Foreign Minister on Saturday, November 20, of attempting to "distort all facts" to divert public opinion from Saudi Arabia's destabilizing actions in the region. He also labeled Saudi policies as "divisive" and accused the country of having a "desire to create unrest" in Lebanon following its actions in the Persian Gulf and Yemen. Qasemi further accused Saudi Arabia of "unrestrained war crimes" in Yemen and called it the "cradle of extremist thought and a tangible manifestation of terrorist actions and blatant interference in the affairs of other countries in the region." On Friday, November 19, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, reiterated the claim of the Islamic Republic's involvement in the missile attack on Riyadh during an interview with CNBC. He stated that IRGC forces had transferred the missile to Yemen and "made the necessary arrangements for the attack on Saudi Arabia, which could be interpreted as a declaration of war." He also called for closer monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the Vienna nuclear agreement and sanctions against Iran for its missile program and "support for terrorism." On Monday, November 15, the Saudi Foreign Minister had also stated that the recent missile attack on Riyadh International Airport was "considered a declaration of war by Iran, and we will respond appropriately at the right time." The missile attack on the Saudi capital occurred on Saturday, November 13, and was intercepted by Saudi defense forces in the sky over Riyadh Airport. The Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, while Iranian officials denied any involvement. Despite Iranian officials' denials, General Jeffrey Harrigian, who oversees the U.S. Air Force Central Command in Qatar, stated on Friday that the ballistic missile fired from Yemen towards the Saudi capital was Iranian and that "Iranian markings" were observed on its body. Two days prior to these statements, the White House had accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of supplying the Houthis in Yemen with "advanced weapons," including the ballistic missile that was fired towards the Saudi capital last week. Meanwhile, Alistair Burt, the UK Foreign Office's Middle East Minister, expressed serious concern on Thursday over reports of Iran's missile support for the attack on Riyadh and called for UN inspectors to investigate the matter. In response, the Iranian embassy in London issued a statement on Friday that did not deny Iran's involvement in the missile attack but stated that "the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, using weapons and equipment provided by some Western countries, including the UK, has caused widespread slaughter of innocent people and created famine, cholera, and other infectious diseases." On the same day, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, accused Saudi officials of "driving the region towards a very bad situation." Following the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have soured, and in recent weeks, tensions between the two countries regarding Lebanon have also increased. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned on Saturday, November 13, criticizing Iran and Hezbollah's "interference" in Arab affairs, stating that his life was in "danger." In this context, Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, accused Saudi Arabia on Friday of forcing Saad Hariri to resign from the Lebanese Prime Minister's position and holding him in detention to destabilize Lebanon.