Iranian MPs Slam Saudi Support for Terrorism
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian lawmakers on Monday condemned Saudi Arabia for pursuing “wrong policies” and supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East region.
In a statement read out in an open session of the parliament on Monday, 224 MPs voiced their outrage over the policies pursued by the Riyadh regime, describing the Arab country as the “cradle” of terrorist ideologies.
“…Saudi Arabia, as the cradle of terrorist thoughts, has caused crises and tensions in the region for a long time through (providing) billions (of dollars) and sending arms to terrorists,” the statement noted.
The Iranian lawmakers further pointed to recent tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, saying that Iran’s firm policy of countering terrorism while a number of regional countries support the inauspicious phenomenon is one of the factors damaging Iran's relations with some of these countries.
Tensions ran high between Iran and Saudi Arabia in recent days mainly due to Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, and a subsequent attack by outraged Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, which resulted in the Arab country’s decision to sever its ties with the Islamic Republic.
On January 2, Saudi Arabia announced that it has executed Sheikh Nimr, among dozens of others. The execution ignited widespread international condemnation, from both political and religious figures.
The next day, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the execution of Sheikh Nimr.
Although Iranian officials criticized the embassy attack and police arrested dozens involved, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.
