Tehran Delivers Latest in Iran-Saudi Smackdown

An Iranian spokesman on Thursday termed “delirious” a speech delivered the day before by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the United Nations General Assembly. In it, the Saudi monarch accused the Islamic Republic of exploiting a 2015 multilateral accord aimed at curbing its ability to produce nuclear weapons in order to “intensify its expansionist activities, create its terrorist networks and use terrorism.” Salman added: “Our experience with the Iranian regime has taught us that partial solutions and appeasement did not stop its threats to international peace and security.” In response, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh deemed Riyadh the “main financial and logistical supporter of terrorism in the region,” highlighting the proxy war the two Gulf giants have been waging in Yemen. “Constant on-the-ground and political defeats in Yemen have made Saudi Arabia turn to delirious talk,” Khatibzadeh said, claiming that the Saudis “want to get away from the responsibility of their war crimes against Yemeni women and children by pointing the finger at other countries.” He added that Riyadh’s support of the United States and Israel had made it a “puny” nation among Arab states.