Iran’s FM Brands Talk of Saudi Boots in Syria as Mere Bluff


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Saudi Arabia’s announcement of readiness to deploy ground troops to war-hit Syria as a propaganda bluff that only adds to the tensions in the region.

Obviously, speculations about Saudi Arabia’s military interference in Syria is mainly propaganda, Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Brussels on Sunday night.

He said every country has specific capabilities and such propaganda bluffs will not help solve any problem, stressing that such rhetoric of war will only further complicate matters in the region.

“We have announced repeatedly that our neighbors need to realize the facts, put aside illusions, accept that they have to succumb to the Syrian people’s will, and stop deciding for the Syrian people,” Zarif added.

He noted that Saudi Arabia will finally have no choice but to scrap the “delusional policy” of bellicosity and the notion that military action could yield results.

The comments came after Riyadh voiced readiness to participate in any ground operations in Syria if the US-led coalition purportedly targeting terrorists decides to start such operations.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the so-called US-led coalition that has been conducting air raids against what are claimed to be the Daesh (ISIL) terrorists inside Syria without any authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate since September 2014.

Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting an assortment of militant groups, including the Daesh terrorists.