Saudi Arabia: 35 Years of Iranian Aggression Against Us and Our Allies is Enough

Adel al-Jubeir, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, has strongly criticized the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic, stating that '35 years of Iranian aggression' against his country and its allies is sufficient. In an interview with Euronews aired on Thursday, July 22, he emphasized that 'this aggression will not be tolerated.' The Saudi Foreign Minister supported a nuclear agreement with Iran that 'prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, has a strong mechanism for precise and surprise inspections, and allows for the reinstatement of sanctions in case of a breach of the agreement,' expressing that Saudi Arabia's concern is about 'Iran's access to financial resources.' Adel al-Jubeir stated, 'What we are witnessing is the continuation of Iran's hostile activities in support of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and attempts to send weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. I think to judge, we need to see if there is any change in Iran's behavior. But we are not witnessing anything specific.' These remarks from the Saudi Foreign Minister come at a time when officials of the Islamic Republic refer to Saudi Arabia as the main supporter of terrorism in the region, including support for the Islamic State (ISIS). However, al-Jubeir referred to members of the Islamic Republic as 'a group of criminals, individuals with personality disorders, and corrupt,' stating that ISIS aims to 'gain access to Mecca and Medina.' The Saudi Foreign Minister questioned, 'Why should we support an ideology whose goal is to kill us?' and seemingly addressed Western countries, adding, 'If you have a problem in a corner of your country, shut down the Islamic center there. Do not blame others. If extremism is occurring in your country, that is your problem.' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State, had previously warned that the rulers of Saudi Arabia 'have lost their legitimacy' and 'their end is near.' The Saudi Foreign Minister's harsh criticisms of Iran come after he had also given a stern response to the vehement criticisms of an Iranian representative in Brussels the previous week. In a video published by Al Arabiya on Thursday, al-Jubeir is seen speaking at the Egmont Institute, affiliated with the Belgian Foreign Ministry, where he faced questions from an Iranian representative at the meeting. Al Arabiya identified this individual as the 'Consul General' of Iran in Belgium but did not name him, and Iranian sources have not published a report on this matter. In response to the Saudi Foreign Minister's criticisms of Iran, the Iranian representative stated, 'Accusing Iran of these actions is unnecessary and does not benefit either country.' While Adel al-Jubeir accused the Islamic Republic of having ties with al-Qaeda, the Iranian representative said, 'Talking about the relationship between al-Qaeda and Iran is more of a joke. No one forgets that Osama bin Laden was a Saudi citizen and had strong political and economic ties with Saudi Arabia. No one forgets that out of the 19 individuals who carried out the September 11 attacks, 15 were Saudi citizens. Attendees at this meeting know which country or countries have supported ISIS for years.' The Iranian representative in Brussels continued, 'I would like to remind you that what Minister [Adel al-Jubeir] said here is completely contradictory to the policies of the leaders of the European Union and even the United States, which has special relations with Iran, especially after the nuclear negotiations, as well as the policies of other countries in the region. Iran's invitation to the coalition to resolve the Syrian crisis shows that Iran is a key partner in resolving the Syrian crisis.' The Saudi Foreign Minister responded to these remarks by stating, 'First, regarding the third point that the honorable Consul General of Iran mentioned, I must say I have said nothing but what is based on facts. Is it not the Iranian constitution that emphasizes exporting the revolution? Does the Iranian constitution not refer to the necessity of caring for oppressed Shiites? Was it not Iran that established Hezbollah in Lebanon? Did Iran not attack dozens of foreign embassies on its soil, violating all international laws? We did not attack embassies; it was Iran that did so. Did Iran not plan and execute the 1996 attacks against American soldiers in Khobar?' Al-Jubeir added, 'Yes, they did, and the supervising officer of the operation was Colonel Sharifi, their military attaché at their embassy in Bahrain. The bomb maker was Lebanese, and the explosives came from Baalbek, Lebanon. Three main commanders of the operation fled and have been living in Iran since then. Is this not considered sheltering terrorists? Last year, we arrested one of them in Lebanon. Despite being a Saudi citizen, he did not have a Saudi passport and carried an Iranian passport.' The Saudi Foreign Minister posed the question, 'Is this not incitement and support for terrorists by Iran?' He added, 'When the bombings in Riyadh occurred in 2003, 'Saif al-Adel,' who is responsible for al-Qaeda's propaganda, was in Iran along with four or five senior al-Qaeda leaders. We asked Iran to hand them over to us, but Iran refused. Some of them are still in Iran.' Adel al-Jubeir stated, 'We did not fabricate this information and data; these are clear facts.' The Saudi Foreign Minister claimed that 'the order to blow up three residential complexes in Riyadh in 2003 was issued by Saif al-Adel, the leader of al-Qaeda operations, while he was in Iran,' adding, 'We have his recorded phone conversations; we did not fabricate this information.' Al-Jubeir said, 'Embassies do not blow themselves up; someone must do it. Diplomats do not shoot themselves three times to die; someone else has done this.' He added, 'Iranian agents have been linked to terrorist attacks in Europe and South America. We did not fabricate this information. This evidence is now available to the world.' The Saudi Foreign Minister also referred to Iran as 'a great nation' and stated, 'We hope that this great nation will be a great neighbor for us, but trust-building must be mutual.' Adel al-Jubeir addressed the officials of the Islamic Republic, saying, 'If you want the world to engage with you, you must abandon expansionist and hostile policies and turn to appropriate international norms and behaviors. Our [hand of friendship] has been extended to you for 35 years, and in return, we have received nothing but threats from terrorists, the killing of our diplomats, and the bombing of our embassies.' Iran and Saudi Arabia have had severe disagreements over regional issues in recent years. In January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric critical of the government along with several others accused of being members of al-Qaeda. The execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr was met with a strong reaction from the Islamic Republic, and protesters in Tehran and Mashhad set fire to the Saudi embassy and consulate. Adel al-Jubeir described this behavior in Brussels as 'unacceptable hostile behavior' and 'against all norms and international laws.' The Saudi Foreign Minister stated, 'That is why Iran is considered a state sponsor of terrorism not by us, but by the international community, which must be punished for supporting terrorism.' The U.S. government considers the Islamic Republic of Iran the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. At the end of his remarks, the Saudi Foreign Minister asked, 'Is it logical that the whole world is wrong and Iran is right?' and addressed Iranian officials, saying, 'If you want Saudi officials not to criticize Iran's behavior, behave in a way that does not provoke criticism.' Adel al-Jubeir previously had a verbal confrontation with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister.