Saudi foreign minister’s remarks, media hype: Iran diplomat

Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that leveling unsubstantiated accusations and propaganda campaigns do not benefit the relations of the two countries.

“We expect the Saudi foreign minister [Saud al-Faisal] to exercise self-restraint and refrain from using the language of threat,” he said, adding, “We believe that such [allegations] are more of media hype.”

On May 21, Saudi Arabia’s state media reported that the country had arrested 10 more suspects in what it claimed was a spy ring linked to Iran. The kingdom had arrested 18 others people in the same case in March 2012.

The following day, Faisal said that the Kingdom would protest to the UN over the issue, adding that “no country is allowed to recruit individuals to work against Saudi Arabia.”

Amir-Abdollahian said that the Saudi security forces leveled accusations against Iran every few months without presenting evidence.

He said that Iran has always called on the Saudi Arabia to present evidence whenever they brought accusations against the Islamic Republic.

In the most recent case, the Kingdom alleged that it had arrested certain foreign nationals, including an Iranian, for espionage but they have failed to provide documentation despite Iran’s request for evidence, he stressed.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi has also dismissed Saudi Arabia’s false allegations that the Islamic Republic has links to a spy cell recently arrested in the Kingdom.

"We expect the Saudi government to pursue the issue through correct channels instead of creating media hype," Araqchi said on Wednesday.

HK