Iranian leader Ali Khamenei

Arab League foreign ministers on Thursday condemned Iranian leader Ali Khamenei’s statement against Saudi Arabia. “We condemn the bellicose statements by Khamenei,” the ministers said in a statement after a meeting in Cairo.

Academics also blasted Khamenei. Abdul Rahman Al-Aseel, professor of political science at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, said Khamenei’s statements are defamatory.

“They are an extension of Iran’s war on Islam and the Kingdom,” he said. “Saudi Arabia represents the true face of Islam.”

He added: “What increases our strength is that the Kingdom remains steadfast in serving Islam and its true values, and these remarks have no effect, as our wise leadership, with Allah’s will, will continue raising the profile of Islam and Muslims.”

Journalist Ali Al-Sabahi said Iranian statements are nothing new from a regime that spurs hate against all things Arab and Islamic. “They are only part of a provocative agenda pursued by the regime that has no respect for the sanctity of its own people, let alone of Arab countries,” he said.

“Iran’s mullahs and officials spare no effort to wage war on the true Islam, as evidenced by the fact that they see Karbala and Najaf as much more valuable than the Holy Kaaba,” said Al-Sabahi.

He said during the pilgrimage, Iran works to create chaos that could lead to bloodshed via elements it sent to perform Haj this year from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Gulf countries and other Muslim countries.

“We urge authorities in the Kingdom to take maximum measures to ensure the protection of pilgrims, and call on the Arab and Islamic countries to put aside differences and rally around common interests to protect what remains of the Islamic Ummah and restore what was destroyed by the Persians,” he said.

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