Iran’s mission to Saudi aims to refute US claims

A RARE visit by Iran’s intelligence chief to Saudi Arabia sought to refute US claims that Tehran planned to kill the kingdom’s ambassador to Washington, an Iranian official has said.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast yesterday said Iran also wanted to convince Saudi Arabia that the United States and Israel were seeking to sow seeds of discord between the two regional powers.

Intelligence minister Heidar Moslehi was reported to have met the Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz al-Saud during his visit on Tuesday. The prince is also the kingdom’s interior minister.

Initially, few reports emerged from the meeting. Saudi diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two discussed regional issues, including developments in Syria and Bahrain.

Iran has dismissed the US accusations that Tehran was involved in a plot to assassinate Adel al-Jubeir, calling the claims “absurd”. Two men, including a member of Iran’s Quds force special foreign actions unit, have been charged in New York over the plot.

Mr Moslehi said in October that there were holes in the US allegations, dismissing the claims as a “foolish plot” that nobody would believe.

The Iranian government has denied any connection to Manssor Arbabsiar, the man arrested in the alleged plot, and derided the claims, saying US officials had offered no proof.

Arbabsiar is a 56-year-old US citizen who also had an Iranian passport.