Saudi security forces have identified an Iranian spy cell that has sent over 124 reports to the Iranian intelligence services, Saudi daily Okaz reported yesterday. The spies consist of 32 members, including 30 Saudi nationals, an Afghan national and an Iranian national. They held meetings with Iranian intelligence officials both inside Saudi Arabia and abroad. They also communicated with the Iranian intelligence services via encrypted emails.
Meanwhile, during a security conference yesterday, the Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani said that Saudi Arabia and Iran must unite with Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and Pakistan to stimulate “regional stability cemented in Islamic values, defending the Palestinian people, fighting terrorism and securing economic interests.”
Larijani said Saudi Arabia and other nations should know that Iran is not “their enemy”. “The era of tactical hegemony is over; Iran pursues strengthening of discourse based on Islamic thought and against the conflicts between Shia and Sunni,” he stated.
He said Iran is opposed to “warmongering in Syria and Yemen” and wants to resolve regional conflicts through “national solidarity governments resorting to democratic methods.”
Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran. However recently, tensions have boiled to the surface due to both countries trying to secure their interests through various proxy wars within the region.
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