Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi hit back at Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister for his “baseless and illogical” allegations against Tehran, saying the Al Saud regime itself is known as a hotbed of radical ideologies and terrorism.
In a statement released on Saturday, Qassemi dismissed as “cheap and insulting” the comments made by Adel al-Jubeir, who has once again accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism.
In an interview with US TV network CNBC aired on Thursday, the Saudi diplomat called for sanctions on Iran for what he called support of terrorism and violation of the UN resolutions.
In reply, Qassemi rejected the Saudi minister’s remarks and said, “By distorting the whole realities, the Saudi foreign minister makes the futile attempts he has repeated and experienced several times, hoping to draw the public opinion away from Saudi Arabia’s destabilizing measures in the region.”
The region has well realized the Riyadh regime’s divisive policies, he added, slamming the Saudi government for seeking to upset Lebanon’s security after creating chaos in the Persian Gulf and Yemen.
Hitting back at Jubeir for accusing Iran of supporting terrorism, Qassemi said Saudi Arabia is the “cradle of extremist ideologies and the epitome of terrorist activities and blatant interference in the affairs of the other regional countries.”
Highlighting Iran’s efforts at the regional and international peace and stability, the spokesperson called for concerted action by the regional states to counter the “half-baked extremist policies” of Riyadh.
His comments came after the escalation of Saudi verbal attacks against Iran in the wake of a missile strike from Yemen on Riyadh’s international airport. Saudis allege that Iran had a role in the attack.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is entangled in the case of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s snap resignation. Hariri, who announced his resignation last week in a televised address from Riyadh, has yet to return to Lebanon.
The Saudi regime is also under heavy international pressure for its military campaign against Yemen and blockade of the impoverished country.
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been launching deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to the fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Since then, more than 14,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced from their homes as a result of the attacks, while the country is also facing severe famine and a deadly cholera outbreak.
Source: Tasnim News Agency
