Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif railed at Saudi Arabia’s “barbarism” and support for “extremism” in a New York Times op-ed published Sunday, the latest blow in an escalating feud between the two Gulf states.
The senior Iranian diplomat, who led the Islamic Republic’s delegation in the nuclear talks with world powers, accused Riyadh of “standing in the way of constructive engagement” and brainwashing those who carried out terrorist attacks against the United States.
“Let us not forget that the perpetrators of many acts of terror, from the horrors of Sept. 11 to the shooting in San Bernardino and other episodes of extremist carnage in between, as well as nearly all members of extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front, have been either Saudi nationals or brainwashed by petrodollar-financed demagogues who have promoted anti-Islamic messages of hatred and sectarianism for decades,” Zarif wrote.