ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Senior Iranian cleric Gholamreza Qassemian has been deported to Iran from Saudi Arabia after he had reportedly been arrested by Saudi authorities during the ongoing Hajj season. The cleric was detained shortly after posting a now-viral controversial video sharply criticizing the alleged commercialization of the kingdom’s holy sites. Qassemian on Thursday shared a picture of himself seemingly aboard a plane, addressing his followers with a message: “With your prayers and follow-up, and the diligent follow-up of the Iranian Consulate in Saudi Arabia, I was released from prison and am returning to my beloved homeland via Dubai.” According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Qassemian was arrested in Medina by Saudi police a day after “recording a short video in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi),” which quickly circulated on social media platforms. In the controversial video Qassemian is heard harshly criticizing what he called the commercialization of Saudi holy sites. “The merchants and exploiters of the Qibla [Kaaba - the most sacred site in Islam] have provided ideal conditions - casinos, centers of prostitution, and vulgar concerts are all in place,” the cleric stated. Notably, Iranian officials were quick to distance themselves from Qassemian’s remarks. In a veiled response to the incident, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday dismissed attempts to undermine Tehran’s ties with Saudi Arabia and disrupt “Muslim unity.” “Iran in no uncertain terms condemns any attempt to harm Muslim unity,” Araghchi emphasized on X, adding that Tehran is “determined to not allow anyone to sabotage relations with our brotherly neighbors, including the progressive path of Iran and Saudi Arabia.” Qassemian’s case comes at a time when Saudi-Iranian relations are advancing with caution. The two countries agreed to restore diplomatic ties under a landmark China-brokered accord in March 2023, ending a seven-year rupture. Relations had broken down in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad in response to Riyadh’s execution of Shiite dissident cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Between 2021 and 2023, senior Iranian and Saudi clerics and security officials held a series of talks in Baghdad (five rounds) and Oman (five rounds), culminating in the March 2023 agreement to reopen embassies and implement cooperation accords. Since the election of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in July 2024, bilateral relations have notably strengthened. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were among the first leaders to congratulate Pezeshkian on his victory, expressing a desire to deepen ties. In a major diplomatic milestone, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran in April 2025 - the highest-level Saudi visit to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution - to discuss regional security and economic cooperation. Pezeshkian has repeatedly emphasized that a core pillar of his foreign policy is to “build bridges” across the Middle East and beyond, advocating for regional integration and dialogue, especially with Gulf Arab states, Turkey, and Central Asian nations. Tehran’s prompt disavowal of Qassemian’s inflammatory comments highlights the pragmatic approach Pezeshkian’s administration appears to be taking as it seeks to stabilize ties with its neighbors.
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