Shamkhani Implicitly Accuses Saudi Arabia of Creating Insecurity at the Border with Pakistan

A few days after the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran accused Saudi Arabia of establishing a "military base" in Pakistan, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council also implicitly accused the country of attempting to "create insecurity" at Iran's borders by "sending weapons and renting terrorists." According to the state news agency IRNA, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated on Monday, July 25, during a meeting with Lieutenant General Nasir Khan Janjua, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, that the "development of a devastating wave of terrorism that has become an international problem" is a "common threat" for both countries. Mr. Shamkhani called for the "preservation and protection of sustainable security at the borders" and for joint actions between the two countries on issues such as combating "bandit groups," fighting drug trafficking, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. He added without naming any country that "we will not allow some countries to affect relations between the two countries by sending weapons and renting terrorists to create insecurity at the borders." Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, had accused Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 16, of establishing a "base" in Pakistan's Balochistan and that "a group from the Pakistani government" that "is not under the control of the Pakistani government" is collaborating with Saudi Arabia to make Iran's eastern borders insecure. Meanwhile, Mr. Shamkhani expressed regret that an Islamic country is spending its costs and revenues on expanding war and promoting terrorism in the region based on the wishes of the enemies of the Islamic world, while being indifferent to the people besieged in Gaza and the Palestinian issue, establishing secret relations with the Zionist regime. These statements could refer to Saudi Arabia. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday, July 25, that the Director General of this ministry had met with a Saudi delegation that had recently visited Israel. According to reports, Anwar Eshki, a retired Saudi general, met and discussed with Dore Gold, one of the directors of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, at a hotel in Jerusalem. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the Islamic State (ISIS). The policies of the two countries in the region have been in stark contrast in recent years. While Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and is accused of supporting the Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen, Saudi Arabia supports the forces opposing Bashar al-Assad in Syria and President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi of Yemen. According to IRNA, Nasir Khan Janjua, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, also announced during his meeting with Mr. Shamkhani that Pakistan would expand its security and economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. He emphasized that after the Vienna nuclear agreement and the lifting of sanctions against Iran, "new grounds" have been created for the development of joint economic, commercial, and trade cooperation. Iranian officials have repeatedly called for Pakistan to deal with some armed groups active in the Sistan and Baluchestan province. These groups, according to Iranian officials, are based in Pakistan and are considered "terrorist." In this regard, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, during his visit to Pakistan in April, emphasized that the security agreement previously signed between the two countries "must be operationalized" so that Iran can better secure its borders in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.