Justice Minister: Attack on Saudi Embassy Could Be the Work of Infiltrators

In response to the attack on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council called the incident 'suspicious' and the Minister of Justice stated that this act 'could have been designed and supported by infiltrators.' Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric, also mentioned that the attack on the Saudi embassy and consulate could have been carried out by 'supporters of the regime' or 'infiltrators.' According to Mehr News Agency, Mustafa Pourmohammadi, the Minister of Justice, said on Monday, January 4, that the attack on the Saudi embassy 'has overshadowed the martyrdom of Ayatollah Nimer.' The Minister emphasized that 'the recent action against the Saudi embassy could have been designed and supported by infiltrators.' Additionally, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, on Monday described the 'assault' on Saudi diplomatic sites as 'suspicious' and emphasized the determination of responsible agencies in the country to quickly address the issue and punish those responsible. Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi also stated that the attack on the Saudi embassy could have been carried out by two groups; one group consists of 'supporters of the regime who are angered by Saudi policies and actions,' and the second group includes 'infiltrators' who want to 'increase animosity between Shia and Sunni.' According to IRNA, he emphasized that these actions have 'severe costs for both the regime and Islam,' advising 'friends to control their nerves and not give the enemy an excuse and to strongly prevent infiltrators.' Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have been ongoing for months over regional issues including roles in Syria and Yemen, escalated on Saturday with the execution of Sheikh Nimer al-Nimer, a critical Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, culminating in protests attacking Saudi diplomatic sites in Tehran and Mashhad. This situation has redirected sharp criticism towards Iran, with the European Union, the U.S., and other countries urging the Islamic Republic to ensure the safety of Saudi diplomats and their diplomatic sites in Iran. Meanwhile, on Saturday, most countries and international groups condemned Saudi Arabia for the mass execution of 47 opposition prisoners, including Sheikh Nimer. On the other hand, some conservative figures have called the 'passive diplomacy' of Hassan Rouhani's government a precursor to the attack on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, condemned the execution of Sheikh Nimer on Sunday, stating that the attack on Saudi diplomatic sites is 'an insult to the regime' and ordered the Minister of Interior to cooperate with the Ministry of Intelligence and the Judiciary to identify and arrest those responsible for these attacks. However, on the same day, some conservative members of parliament, including Hossein Naqavi Hosseini and Mehdi Hashemi, along with several conservative media outlets, protested against the President's statement condemning both the attack on the embassy and the execution of Sheikh Nimer, claiming that the 'weak diplomacy' of Hassan Rouhani's government towards Saudi Arabia was the cause of the attack on the embassy. Meanwhile, Hamid Rasai, a representative from Tehran and a member of the Stability Front, criticized the foreign policy of Hassan Rouhani's government, stating: 'These people are not angry and should not be blamed for these undiplomatic and emotional behaviors; rather, the fault lies with a government that has become a prisoner of non-revolutionary diplomatic behaviors and does not know where it stands in today's world as the government of the mother of the cities of Islamic countries.' This refers to remarks made by Ayatollah Khamenei in February 2013, stating, 'I am not a diplomat; I am a revolutionary.' Abdolreza Davari, a supporter of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also referred to the government's 'passivity' towards Saudi Arabia, calling the attack on the embassy 'a legitimate and revolutionary action.' The police spokesperson: 'People cannot often be hit.' However, on Tuesday, the state-run Iran newspaper and several other media criticized the police for not intervening against the attackers of the Saudi embassy and consulate. On the same day, Hossein Ali Amiri, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, stated that the ministry had given necessary instructions to the police to prevent possible incidents. In response to these criticisms, according to ISNA, Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi, the police spokesperson, said, 'People cannot often be hit; the last resort is the coercive method.' Iranian officials' reactions to the severing of relations with Saudi Arabia On Tuesday, several officials of the Islamic Republic, including Es'hagh Jahangiri, the First Vice President, and Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described Saudi Arabia's action in severing relations with Iran as 'pretext-seeking' and announced that 'Saudi Arabia will suffer from this action.' Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, also called the Saudi government's action 'a wrong policy' and stated that the attack on the embassy 'is not a valid reason for severing relations.' Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the Judiciary, said: 'Iran does not need the Saudis and their masters, and cutting off relations will not cause us any problems.' Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, described the Saudi government's action as 'foolishness' and said that 'the Saudi government must pay the cost of this severance.' Hamid Baidi-Nejad, the Director General of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also referred to the severance of relations with Iran as 'another mistake in the wrong decision-making circles of Saudi leaders' that 'will not help this country in compensating for its strategic and tactical weaknesses in the region.'