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Iran's defence minister on Monday lashed back at Saudi Arabia, slamming the kingdom's deputy crown prince over belligerent comments last week that underscored the deep rivalries between the two power.
In a wide-ranging interview, Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman said there was no space for dialogue with rival Iran due to its ambitions “to control the Islamic world.”
Framing the tensions with Iran in sectarian terms, the prince said the Saudis would not sit and wait for war but would “work so that it becomes a battle for them in Iran and not in Saudi Arabia.”
On Monday, Iran's defence minister General Hossein Dehghan was quoted as saying that Iran would advise against “such a stupidity” because in that case, nothing would be “left in Saudi Arabia except Makkah and Madina,” the two holy cities.
Dehghan spoke to Al-Manar TV, owned by the Hezbollah group. The remarks were published on Iranian state television's website.
Referring to a possible Saudi attack or invasion of Iran, he said he doesn't “understand how they would attempt to do something like that... they must imagine they have a powerful air force to do so.”
Ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been strained since Iran's 1979 revolution, and significantly escalated last year as Riyadh executed a leading Shia cleric in the kingdom.
This sparked the ransacking of the Saudi Embassy in Iran by protesters, after which the two countries severed diplomatic and trade ties.
Dehghan expressed suspicions over what he described as Riyadh's close ties with the United States and also Israel, suggesting such ties go against “interests of Muslim nations.”
The Saudis seek to “please” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the “purpose of provoking Netanyahu's action against us.”
Dehghan also urged Saudi Arabia to withdraw from Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition of mostly Arab states has been fighting the Houthi rebels.
The conflict has worsened an already dramatic humanitarian crisis in Yemen and killed thousands of civilians, mostly by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.
For more live updates, follow Dawn.com's official news Instagram account @dawn.today
Comments (44) Closed
Iran has to calm down. With so much issues at hand to solve it is real time to sit back and think with cool head may be you can take help from Pakistan as we were once at this cross roads of history and choose the wrong path and then paid very dearly. Just an innocent question why battleground of KSA and Iran should be in Yemen, Syria and Iraq? Why this battle can not be fought in KSA and in IRAN the place from where this war belongs to. How long you think this fire will take to come to the place from where it was ignited and is still fueled. Once we also though this way that War will not cross border. I wish best for KSA and IRAN but millions has parishes and you both are responsible I really doubt you people have much time left .
It seems Iran streaching itself too far out.
Apparently, our western neighbour is getting irritated by the success of CPEC !
@NOMI GORAYA excellent and balanced Analysis
these two leading Muslim countries never push for peace and prosperity.
Basically Iran is the friend of India, US and Israel no doubt what he is doing in Syria and Yemen.
@sohail ahmed malik - NO, the question is when did Iran become Pakistan's enemy and why?
We cannot control who someone makes friends with. But we surely can maintain or destroy relations with our neighbors due to our own incompetence and foolish influences.
@Skeptic Why we should think about that? Actions speak loudly than words, what Iran has done, and what terrorists safe heavens are doing against Pakistan, and how the terrorists caught red handed when entering Pakistan and having Iranian Passports, thats enough for Pakistanis. Iran can no more fool Pakistani people.
@sohail ahmed malik Muslims need to bury their Shia-Sunni differences which are harming the Muslims and Islam lot of damage for centuries. Such statements from two big Muslim nations is not good for Muslims. I hope soon all Muslims unite and this senseless internal fights shall stop.
What a silly joke?
@Nomi Goraya Its called a Cold War, look up Russia and US version of it on wikipedia.
Mr Trump is visiting KSA to assure the kingdom USA will provide protection. This will things worse in ME therefore never ending conflict in this part of the world.
@Arshad - What CPEC success??
A few trucks going to and fro between China and Gawadar is not a 'success' story. Unless you see shiny plazas and 5-star hotels going up in Gawadar? Or that largest garbage dump (also the dirtiest city in the world, according to the UN) Karachi is beginning to resemble Dubai or Paris?
Get back to reality. Pakistan is and will always be a poor third-world country, run by corrupt elite, exploited by China, surrounded by hostile neighbors and abused by Arabs.
@Nomi Goraya Some intelligent words from you yaar. Nicely written praying for these two to come together. Extremist mindset is the problem with them as well. Just like the IndoPak quarreling, same people and same history.
IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!
Need to enlighten all stakeholders about the real plan of the Greater Israel, to understand truth of the matter.
IRAN is the real trouble maker in middle east..
Islamic world is not blind, neither Iran nor anyone else should work on minus Iran formula...
@tipu sultan "IRAN is the real trouble maker in middle east.."
And you suppose Saudis are true Saints, a gift from God?
The wars from Libya to Afghanistan, Kurdistan to Yemen are all Iran's faults? Who is causing all the refugee crises from Iraq and Syria? Who is preventing food and medicine from reaching the staving Yemenis? It is surely not IRan!
@Mahmood Saudi Arabia is brother to Pakistan. Did you ever hear Saudies threatening Pakistan? Did you ever hear Saudies blaming Pakistan??
@SARA - And yet our 'brother Saudis' have hundreds of Pakistanis in jail, thousands out of work, stranded in Saudi Arabia, without passports or papers, or wages due to them begging for food, water and shelter.
Really ?
@SARA Do you really think all the killing fields from Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria to Yemen have nothing to do with KSA? In Yemen next door neighbor kids are dying due to hunger and there is famine like situation. Who is responsible for current sorry state of affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan? Who were the pilots of all hijacked plans that rammed to WTC as per USA version which unleashed wars and killings in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Why KSA was all happy and satisfied when all Arabic speaking countries were restricted to travel to USA as Iran was also part of ban? Please open your eyes it is not matter of choosing between Iran and KSA it is time to call a spade a spade and save our religion our country from the nexuses of these two who are fighting wars of influence from centuries using religion as tool and at the cost of our lives
Iran is becoming a threat to Muslim world. Iranians were helping India RAW to destablise peace and security in Karachi and Balouchistan, better Iranians should watch their back before its too late. On one hand Iranians claim Muslim brotherhood and on other hand threat for the region particularly Saudia, Muslim world and Pakistan.
@Naveed your source on info is Irani media. Saudi Arabia has laws which are implemented as well. There are few pakistanies who are jailed in saudia because they burned down buses and public property to protest delay in salaries, but they should have known that it was not Pakistan where you can damage public or private property and get away with it. They should have gone to the labour court to settle the issue
@FAISAL bro u clearly have never been to saudia
@khan bhopali I have lived in Saudi Arabia for 18 yeras , just came back last year
@khan bhopali Ministry of labour has a clear directive to all banks in Saudi Arabia to notify to ministry of labour about salary transfer dates. If any company delays the salary beyond 5th of the month it is penalized
@Mahmood ...You have a very low opinion of my country with which i strongly disagree you must have very low self esteem as well i am guessing!!.
Iran replied after a irresponsible statement from Saudi official "
No worries. The Saudis are the world's greatest warriors.
ISIS is a Saudi and US product not made in Iran.
Iran has not funded or spread terrorism , Saudi Arabia has
Saudi Arabia and Israel are root causes of instability .
Iran has a right to respond to irresponsible and unrealistic comments by a spoilt Saudi prince .
Saudis are with US and Israel which is enough to show how much they care for Muslims.
@Ths ever thought of our Pakistan in that context
@tipu sultan How?
@Ths US has gifted Iran the influence in Iraq, and Israel has always been Iran s top Ally but a bit sceretly
@Alba Thanks for the joke.
Pakistan has also been dragged into the conflict between KSA and Iran.
@Raja Farhat abbas Truth is Bitter. Have some more KoolAid behind it.
@Al harbi "US has gifted Iran the influence in Iraq, and Israel has always been Iran s top Ally but a bit sceretly" this is amazing both US and Israel are major supporter of Saudi Arabia and you are telling us that they both are secretly supporting Iran then Saudi Arabia should revisit its relations with US and Israel and withdraw all her support which Saudi Arabia extending to US and Israel in the region and should cancel all her agreements with them especially the billions of dollars arms agreements
what exactly is their (Iran & KSA) problem with each other? both are separated by sea & have no dispute over each others territory. We're hearing it since long but what exactly is this shia-sunni dispute ? Both are muslims right then what is the reason to fight?
@sohail ahmed malik "Basically Iran is the friend of India, US and Israel....." That is why US has sanctions on Iran ! Of course, only friends sanction friends. Stupid thinking has no bounds.