Iran's Response to Saudi Arabia's Accusations of 'Supporting Terrorism'

One day after Saudi Foreign Minister stated that Iran's 'interference' in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon is 'unacceptable', Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that Iran will 'strongly' continue its support for the mentioned countries. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Velayati, the international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also stated on Monday that Iran will remain alongside its 'authentic allies' in the region. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, said on Sunday, 'We are waiting for the day when we can establish good relations with Iran. But this depends on Iran's behavior and whether it interferes in regional issues, supports terrorism, and refrains from actions that harm the interests of the people and the region.' One day after these remarks, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, stated, 'Contrary to some parties that support and instrumentalize terrorism and jeopardize regional security, Tehran strongly supports Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and countries facing terrorist threats.' According to the state news agency IRNA, he emphasized that the security of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and the Gulf countries is 'interconnected.' Amir-Abdollahian added, 'We welcome good relations with Riyadh and expect Saudi Arabia to play a constructive role in the region and to adopt correct and measured policies to prevent the expansion of war, the strengthening of terrorism, and the intensification of insecurity in the region.' Tensions in diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated following the military intervention of the latter in Yemen, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned the Saudi chargé d'affaires in Tehran three times in the past two months regarding issues related to this intervention. Iran supports the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia demands the return of the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power, which is still recognized as the legitimate government of Yemen by the United Nations and nearly all countries in the world. In Syria, the Islamic Republic firmly supports the government of Bashar al-Assad, while Saudi Arabia is considered a staunch opponent of Assad. Velayati: We are alongside our authentic allies. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Velayati stated on Monday that 'our authentic allies in the region are currently confronting a group of allies that oppose our goals.' He added, 'The Islamic Republic of Iran stands with these allies because what is happening is a shared destiny for all of us in the region, and no country in this region and North Africa is immune from these aggressions, from Central Asia, which is pregnant with events due to the presence of ISIS, to Afghanistan, where ISIS has gathered with American plans in its north to act against the Muslim-majority Xinjiang province of China.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Velayati referred to a 'alignment' in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Pakistan, where on one side is the 'resistance group led by the Islamic Republic' and on the other side is the 'group supporting the interests of the U.S. and Israel.' The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to the Syrian government and also to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas and other Palestinian groups opposing Middle East peace as forming the 'resistance front' against Israel and others. Meanwhile, Ali Shadmani, the deputy operations chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, also stated on Saturday that the Supreme Leader has entrusted the management of the 'resistance front' to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ali Saidi, the representative of the leader in the IRGC, also referred to Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and also Latin America as the 'strategic depth' of the Islamic Republic of Iran.