Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Saudi Arabia was blaming Tehran for the consequences of its own "wars of aggression", after his Saudi counterpart accused Tehran of threatening regional security.
"KSA (Saudi Arabia) is engaged in wars of aggression, regional bullying, destabilizing behavior (and) risky provocations. It blames Iran for the consequences," Zarif said on his Twitter account.
Zarif linked the turmoil to a visit by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, to Saudi Arabia last week. Both the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia have vowed to more aggressively counter Iranian influence in the region.
The minister also pointed to Trump’s visit to Riyadh earlier this year, after which Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in the Persian Gulf enforced a blockade on Qatar for maintaining ties with Iran. Iran also has condemned the Sunni-led monarchy in Bahrain during years of crackdowns on Shiite protesters seeking a greater voice in the island-nation's affairs, the Washington Post reported.
"Visits to the belligerent #KSA have proved hazardous to regional health. Trump visit led to Bahrain repression followed by Qatar debacle," Zarif wrote. "Visits by Kushner & Lebanese PM led to Hariri’s bizarre resignation while abroad".
KSA is an abbreviation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
