Iran slams Saudi claim that it harbors Al-Qaeda leaders
Saudi Arabia’s outspoken crown prince recently accused Tehran of being ‘destabilizing force’ in region
By Ahmet Dursun
TEHRAN
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed allegations by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia that Tehran was providing sanctuary to Al-Qaeda leaders.
“[Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammad bin Salman’s claim that Iran is harboring Al-Qaeda leaders is a big lie,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said in a Tuesday statement.
Qassemi went on to assert that “some Al-Qaeda affiliates, including relatives of former terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, were arrested [by Iran] and deported to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia while fleeing the U.S. invasion in 2001”.
In a Sunday interview with a major American television network, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince accused Iran of being a “destabilizing force” in the region by continuing to harbor Al-Qaeda leaders.
