Trump Repeatedly Humiliates Saudis: Iran’s Zarif
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the Donald Trump administration’s arrogant nature and the Saudi government’s wrong policy to rely on the US supports, suggesting that Tehran and Riyadh can “build a strong region”.
“President Trump repeatedly humiliates the Saudis by saying they can't last 2 weeks without his support. This is the recompense for the delusion that one's security can be outsourced,” Zarif said on his Twitter account on Thursday evening.
“We again extend our hand to our neighbors: let's build a "strong region", and stop this conceit,” he added in his tweet.
US President Donald Trump made a new remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US military.
Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have strained over the past years after their conflicting views on regional developments, particularly on Yemen and Syria, became more noticeable.
The relations further deteriorated after a crush of pilgrims in Mina, near Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, in September 2015, which killed over 7,000 Hajj pilgrims, including 465 Iranians.
Tehran has blamed the deaths on the Al Saud’s mismanagement of the Hajj pilgrimage and criticized Riyadh for “lack of cooperation” on restoring the rights of families of the victims.
Iran’s former ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi also lost his life in the tragic incident.
