Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of meddling in Mideast states

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has accused Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of Middle East states such as Syria and Iraq.

Speaking in a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Monday, Faisal claimed Iran was “part of the problem, not the solution" in the Middle East, alleging that Tehran “cannot play any role in the region” if its policies remain unchanged.

The Saudi minister’s allegations against Iran come as the Iraqi and Syrian authorities have repeatedly criticized Riyadh and its Persian Gulf Arab allies for fomenting terror in their countries.

Iran has so far not commented on the latest Saudi charges, but Tehran has in the past categorically denied such claims by the US allies in the region.

Faisal also accused Iran of having “occupying forces” in Syria despite the fact that Iran has firmly dismissed reports about its military involvement in Syria and Iraq, stressing that Tehran’s support for the two Arab nations is in the form of humanitarian aid and military consultation.

While Riyadh and other Persian Gulf kingdoms are widely suspected of being the major sponsors of Takfiri terrorist groups, including ISIL and al-Nusra Front, Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, has now joined Washington’s so-called coalition against ISIL.

As the coalition’s airstrikes continue to destroy the Iraqi and Syrian infrastructure, observers describe the campaign as ineffective as it has failed to prevent ISIL advancements.

The ISIL Takfiri terrorists, who currently control parts of Syria and Iraq, have committed widespread acts of violence, including mass executions, abductions, torture and forcing women into slavery in the areas they have seized in the two countries.

They have threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Izadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq and Syria.

According to a report in September 2013, many militants fighting against the Syrian government said their salaries came from the Saudi government.

Also, based on another report by The Wall Street Journal, former Saudi spy chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, is considered by the CIA as "a veteran of the diplomatic intrigues of Washington and the Arab world [who] could deliver what the CIA couldn’t: planeloads of money and arms, and...wasta, Arabic for under-the-table clout."