Saudi Arabia, Bahrain habituated to following US

Iran says Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are habituated to following their “extra-regional master” the United States, shortly after the two Arab states welcomed a decision by Washington to blacklist an Iranian military force.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Wednesday condemned Riyadh and Manama for offering “ignoble and passive praise” for the US decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) “a foreign terrorist organization.”

“The standpoints that have been declared by these two countries indicate their lack of a proper comprehension... of regional realities,” Qassemi said.

He said Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were also unaware of the consequences of the US “strategic error” regarding the region’s security.

The IRGC has helped the governments of Syria and Iraq eliminate the Daesh terrorist group, which had since 2014 taken over large areas of their territories.

US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC “a foreign terrorist organization” on Monday.

The official Saudi Press Agency quoted a Saudi Foreign Ministry source as welcoming the US move as a “practical and serious step” in curbing what the source described as Iranian meddling in the region.

Separately, in a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry similarly welcomed the decision.

Both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have severed their diplomatic relations with Iran.

Qassemi said the two countries could not deflect attention away from their role in spreading terrorism in the region and beyond.

Western reporters, among others, have reported Saudi Arabia’s quiet but heavy sponsorship of “schools” in foreign countries where individuals are radicalized.

Trump’s decision about the IRGC has been denounced by Turkey, Qatar, China, and Iraq. Iran has responded  by designating the US Central Command (CENTCOM) as “a terrorist organization.”