Saudi Crown Prince: Iran, Turkey, and Militant Groups are the 'Modern Triangle of Evil'

In an interview published on Wednesday, March 7, in an Egyptian newspaper, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman harshly criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, labeling them alongside militant groups as the 'modern triangle of evil.' According to the Associated Press, during his interview on Tuesday night, he described the 'Iranian project' as collapsing. While the reports did not provide a clear explanation of the 'Iranian project,' it may be linked to a joint statement issued by Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night. The Associated Press interpreted a vague reference to a 'regional member' in this statement as referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The statement read: 'The security of the Arab region cannot be ensured unless all efforts by a regional member to interfere in the affairs of Arab countries are ended.' Over the past couple of years, Gulf Arab countries have accused Tehran of attempting to interfere in their internal affairs, particularly through the Shiite minority. In response, Iranian officials have consistently denied these accusations, labeling them as 'projection.' In this context, Bahrain announced on Saturday that it had arrested 116 individuals on charges of belonging to a 'terrorist cell' allegedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. A formal statement released by Bahrain's state news agency on Saturday indicated that security agencies had thwarted several attacks and discovered large quantities of weapons and explosives during these operations. Continuing his criticisms, the Saudi Crown Prince strongly attacked Iran in his interview, stating: 'The Iranian project is collapsing, and we have it surrounded everywhere.' Many experts believe that Tehran and Riyadh are currently engaged in proxy wars against each other in at least two regions of the world. Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Saudi Arabia stands with the Damascus opposition. The situation is reversed in Yemen. In his interview, Mohammed bin Salman also criticized Turkey, accusing its government of attempting to revive the Ottoman Empire. The Crown Prince promised that Qatar would not be barred from attending the Arab leaders' summit scheduled to take place this month in Riyadh. Last summer, Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar and effectively placed the country under economic siege. These four countries accuse Qatar of supporting militant groups and being overly close to the Islamic Republic. Regarding the resolution of this crisis, the Saudi Crown Prince stated: 'We do not accept any solution to the Qatar crisis outside the framework of Arab or Gulf countries, but that does not mean we will prevent this country from attending the Arab leaders' summit.' On Monday, Egypt warmly welcomed Mohammed bin Salman, emphasizing the development of strategic relations between the two countries through military ceremonies and a trip to the Suez Canal. This is the first foreign trip for the 32-year-old Crown Prince since he ascended to the position of Crown Prince and comes after a difficult year in which he consolidated his position by sidelining rivals, promised extensive economic and social reforms, and intensified competition with Iran. The Saudi Crown Prince is currently in Britain and will head to Washington from there. In this context, senior officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are meeting with Trump, and there was a phone conversation between Trump and officials from Saudi Arabia and the UAE regarding Iran. The Crown Prince is scheduled to visit the United States at the end of March.