Tehran Censures Saudi Foreign Minister for ‘baseless’ Anti-Iran Remarks

TEHRAN- Iran’s Foreign Ministry has censured Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir for his “ludicrous, baseless and repetitious” allegations against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi also said on Friday the Saudi official is straining to distract international attention from the endless scandals of his country, which is “the founding father” of such terror groups as al-Qaeda and Daesh.

 It is understandable that the Saudi foreign minister has had difficult days in the wake of the release of the secret 9/11 report, and more difficult days are still ahead of him, the Iranian official added.

Qassemi added that the world, particularly those nations that fell victim to terrorism in the years after September 11, 2001, would certainly realize the significance of the information the report reveals about the Arab kingdom’s support for terrorism.

The senior Iranian diplomat also said that “Jubeir makes ridiculous statements about Iran whenever he is frustrated,” and advised him to think twice about “the repercussions of his statements.”

Last week, the US government released 28 pages of a congressional report on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which hinted at the Saudi government’s involvement in the attacks.

“While in the United States, some of the September 11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government,” reads part of the report released on July 15.

The report also showed information indicating that “Saudi Government officials in the United States may have other ties to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.”

The 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in the US and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage. Of the 19 terrorists, who hijacked four airliners, 15 were Saudis.

The Saudi foreign minister made the anti-Iran allegations during his speech about terrorism at the Egmont Research Center in Brussels earlier this week, claiming that Iran supports terrorism.

Under the new Saudi rulers, Riyadh has adopted an aggressive policy toward Iran and its allies, which are helping Iraq and Syria fight menacing Takfiri militancy. 

Takfirism, which is the trademark of many terrorist groups operating in the region, is largely influenced by Wahhabism, the radical ideology dominating Saudi Arabia and freely preached by Saudi clerics.

The Arab kingdom, which does not tolerate dissent, has a dismal record for human rights abuses.

Several international rights groups, including Amnesty International, lashed out at Saudi Arabia for its “surging” and “arbitrary” use of the death penalty and routinely putting people to death for their views.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia has long opposed the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Syrian Army which is involved in fighting foreign-backed terrorists, including the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Riyadh has several times sought to get Washington’s green light to deploy ground forces to Syria under the pretext of fighting Daesh but is yet to receive such permission from Washington.

Source: Press TV

H.M