Saudi minister slams 'aggressive' Iranian statements

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister condemned what he described as “aggressive statements” by Iran on Monday after Tehran accused Bahrain of stoking tension in the region. A spokeswoman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Marzieh Afkham, accused Saudi ally Bahrain of making “unfounded accusations” against Iran as it “seeks to stoke tension in the region.”

Speaking at a joint press conference with EU foreign policy head Frederica Mogherini, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that Afkham’s claims are “unacceptable for us.”

Earlier, the Bahraini interior ministry revealed that it had detained two men caught trying to smuggle weapons from Iran. “Such tactics are counter-productive,” added Afkham, “and do not affect in any way the Islamic Republic of Iran’s desire to continue its policy… and regional cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism.”