A recently elected lawmaker said Iran is a key contributor to efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
"All countries know that Iran was one of the first countries that took action against the Daesh militant group," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group.
Akbar Ranjbarzadeh, a member of the interim Majlis Presiding Board, made the statement in an interview with ICANA, responding to Saudi Arabia's criticism of Iranian support for Iraq and Syria against terrorist groups.
Defending the presence of Iranian advisers in the two war-ravaged Arab countries, the new lawmaker said Tehran has sent its forces at the request of Baghdad and Damascus to assist the two nations in their battle against terrorists.
"Definitely, Saudis do not care about the nations of the region," he said, citing its aggression against Yemen as a reason, which has killed thousands of Yemenis since its beginning in March 2015.
"Saudi Arabia, by supporting terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria and countering Iran's positive presence there, seeks to spread its extremist ideology and reach its expansionist objectives," he said.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that Iran "must stop meddling in Iraq" and that the presence of Iranian military advisers there is "unacceptable", AP reported.
His comments come as the Iraqi Army and volunteer forces surround the city of Fallujah to retake it from the terrorists.
