A lawmaker said on Sunday Riyadh's actions in the region pose the main threat to the kingdom's interests in the long run.
"Given the crimes it committed in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is posing the biggest threat to its own future," Kamal Dehqani Firouzabadi told ICANA in a recent talk, referring to the long-term repercussions of the devastating war for the Saudi economy and security. He made the statements in response to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir who has accused Iran of "intervention in other countries" and "aggression".
"We are reacting to that aggression and saying, enough is enough. We're not going to let you do this anymore," Jubeir told Reuters in an interview on Nov. 16.
Jubeir made the claims following the surprise resignation earlier this month in Riyadh by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who many Lebanese officials believe was coerced by Saudi Arabia into making such an abrupt decision. Saudi King Salman and his favored son Crown Prince Mohammad have adopted a hard-line approach on all fronts. About two years ago, they started a still ongoing war in Yemen which up to now has killed more than 13,000 innocent civilians and threatened millions with starvation.
Riyadh and its allies have also imposed a sea and land blockade on Qatar since early June after a dispute over Doha's relations with some groups they label as terrorists.
The crown prince has arrested 11 princes in his royal family and nearly 200 members of the Saudi business elite, and has begun to take power from the kingdom’s conservative clerics.
Recently, the oil kingdom accused Iran of involvement in a missile attack, launched from Yemen by Houthi forces. Iranian officials dismissed the allegations and a UN panel said Saudi Arabia has not provided any proof to back up its claim. The crown prince is juggling too many balls at once and it's a matter of time before they spin out of control. Backed by US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia is constantly fabricating new allegations against the Islamic Republic.
"They want to draw attention from their actions in Yemen and Jubeir is tasked with intensifying Iranophobia," Dehqani said.
"Saudi politicians used to behave more wisely in the past, while their new politicians show no decency in their remarks."
Jubeir's claims also prompted a response from Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who on Friday said, "Iran is not seeking any confrontation in the region and wants to help regional peace and stability."
