Saudi Arabia Describes Iran as the 'Greatest Sponsor of Terrorism'

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, on Sunday, February 19, rejected Iran's requests for dialogue, describing Tehran as the greatest supporter of terrorism in the world. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the Saudi Foreign Minister added that Iran is a destabilizing force in the Middle East and wants to 'destroy us.' He further stated that 'as long as Iran does not change its behavior, it will be very difficult to deal with such a country.' On February 12, Adel al-Jubeir, during a meeting with Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, referred to Iran as a 'threat' to the region. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cut their diplomatic relations with Iran last winter following attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad, which occurred after the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also accuse Iran of interfering in their internal affairs. However, Tehran denies these accusations and has accused Riyadh of interfering in its internal matters. In this context, Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Saturday, February 18, that 'armed groups opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the support of extra-regional organizations and some Gulf countries,' have again 'entered a military phase.' These accusations arise while these countries deny interfering in Iran's internal affairs. The Saudi Foreign Minister's remarks came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani welcomed efforts to improve relations between Tehran and the Arab Gulf countries before his trip to Oman on February 16, stating that Iran seeks good relations with these countries. Additionally, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, on February 19, at the Munich Security Conference, called on Gulf countries to 'overcome the current state of division and tension' and said these countries should move towards 'establishing realistic regional coordination.' In this context, he proposed to enhance 'understanding on a wide range of issues, including confidence-building and security measures, and combating terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism' through a 'regional dialogue forum' based on generally agreed principles and common goals. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Adel al-Jubeir, in part of his remarks, stated: 'Iran has supported Bashar al-Assad's regime and has assisted Houthi separatists in Yemen and violent groups throughout the region.' Simultaneously, the Twitter account of the Saudi Foreign Ministry quoted Adel al-Jubeir stating that 'Iran is the only country in the region that has not yet been attacked by ISIS or other terrorist organizations.' Iran's relations with some Arab Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, have soured due to their support for factions involved in the civil wars in Syria and Yemen. These countries also accuse Tehran of interfering in their internal affairs, an accusation that Iran has denied. In this regard, Adel al-Jubeir called on the international community to set red lines to deter Iran from these actions. Earlier, Hassan Rouhani stated on February 16: 'Iran has never thought of aggression, nor interference in the internal affairs of countries, nor imposing its religious, sectarian, or political beliefs. The basis of our policy is joint cooperation with friends and Islamic countries.' 'Weakening Saudi Arabia is Iran's ultimate goal.' According to Reuters, before the Saudi Foreign Minister's speech, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, at the Munich Security Conference, accused Iran of having the ultimate goal of weakening Saudi Arabia and called for dialogue with Arab countries to defeat extremist elements in the region. This Israeli official stated: 'The real division is not between Jews and Muslims but between moderates and extremists.' Similar statements have been made by Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Foreign Minister, who criticized Iran's 'sectarian policies' aimed at 'weakening Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.' According to Reuters, he emphasized in his remarks at the Munich Security Conference that his country opposes any form of religious and sectarian division and noted that he is satisfied with normalizing relations with Israel. Earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on February 16, at a joint press conference with Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated that he believes combating the 'growing tide of extremist Islam' is possible with the help of the U.S. government. He said: 'I think we can roll back the aggression and threat of Iran.' Netanyahu has previously called for a 'global alliance against Iran' following Tehran's recent ballistic missile test, stating that forming such a front against Iran's 'aggressive nature' is a necessity. Iran and Israel's relations have been severed since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Iran does not recognize Israel as an independent country, and Iranian officials rarely refer to this country directly in their official discourse.