Rouhani: We Do Not Want a Rift Between Iran and the Arab World

The President of Iran described the recent events in Saudi Arabia as a 'war of princes' and reiterated the accusation of this country 'aiding' the Islamic State (ISIS), while stating that 'we do not want a rift between Iran and the Arab world.' According to Al-Alam, the Arabic-language television network of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, on Saturday, December 2, during a trip to Sistan and Baluchestan province, said that the Islamic Republic does not seek 'distance' from other countries in the region and added that 'we do not want a rift between Iran and the Arab world.' The Iranian President emphasized that 'if some countries in the region have distanced themselves from us, it is their own fault.' He added, 'Now, if some countries have internal wars of princes or have been bombing their neighbor for three years and are failing, and if they have helped ISIS for years and have failed, it is not our fault.' Rouhani's reference to the 'war of princes' may relate to the recent arrests of several princes, ministers, and some former officials of Saudi Arabia by the 'Anti-Corruption Committee' headed by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the country, last month. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have soured in recent years following conflicts in Syria and Yemen. The verbal tensions between the officials of the two countries have entered a new phase following the recent resignation of Saad Hariri from the Lebanese premiership and the firing of a missile at Riyadh by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Meanwhile, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, on Friday, December 1, once again criticized Iran's actions in the region, stating that Lebanon's survival depends on disarming the Hezbollah militia. Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, December 1, referred to the leader of the Islamic Republic as a 'new Hitler' emerging in the Middle East. The next day, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, called these remarks 'immature, unmeasured, and ridiculous,' stating that 'it has caused no one in the world and the international arena to take such statements seriously.'