DUBAI—Saudi Arabia tried to stoke unrest in Iran and undermine its interests in the region, according to a trove of documents purportedly obtained from the kingdom’s foreign ministry and published by WikiLeaks.

The documents offer what would be a rare glimpse into the workings of one of the reclusive kingdom’s most outward-facing ministries. Many are from 2011-2013, though some date back to years before that.

Cables purportedly from Saudi intelligence and the Saudi embassy in Tehran, suggest ways that popular discontent with the regime could be harnessed.

The leaked documents couldn’t be independently verified.

“It is possible to use the Internet and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and others to expose Iranian practices,” the cable said. “Members of Iranian opposition abroad must be embraced and coordinated with and encourage them to organize exhibits to feature images of torture committed by the Iranian regime against its people and other peoples in the region,” it added.