Sep 14, 2016

Amid a growing war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in particular revolving around the one-year anniversary of the 2015 hajj stampede that killed more than 400 Iranians, Maj. Gen. Yayha Rahim Safavi, special military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned against further escalating matters with its regional rival.

“In the realm of geopolitics, we have a geopolitical rival in the name of Saudi Arabia,” said Safavi, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (1997-2007), during a speech at the Center for International Research and Education of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Either way, in this realm, my recommendation is that we have to improve our relations with Oman, Kuwait and even Qatar. And in our relations with Saudi Arabia, we have to act cautiously. In no way must we move toward the conflict [with the] Saudis.”

Safavi said that Riyadh is opposed to Iran’s current geopolitical strength and blames Iran for its losses in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, countries in which the two are vying for influence. He also cited the various points of contention between the two countries, including reminding the audience that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had been Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s biggest financial supporters during the Iran-Iraq War, which according to him was responsible for the deaths of 200,000 Iranians.

The number of Iranians killed in the conflict, one of the longest of the 20th century, is disputed. A parliamentary bill from earlier this year seeking damages from the United States because of its support of Hussein put the number of Iranians killed at 223,000.

Safavi also mentioned the Mina stampede during last year’s hajj, in which more than 2,000 pilgrims were killed. The high death toll among Iranians and traded accusations prevented Iranians from making the pilgrimage this year.