ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday dismissed attempts to undermine Tehran’s ties with Saudi Arabia and disrupt “Muslim unity.” The remarks follow the reported arrest of a senior Iranian cleric in Mecca, during the Hajj season, after posting a video online criticizing the alleged “exploitation” of the kingdom’s holy sites.
In a statement on X, Araghchi emphasized that “Iran in no uncertain terms condemns any attempt to harm Muslim unity,” 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.”
The senior Iranian diplomat also praised Riyadh’s “highly competent management of this year's Hajj” that is “appreciated by Iran.”
“I extend warm greetings and prayers for continued success to the government and people of Saudi Arabia as they welcome Muslims to the Holy Shrines,” Araghchi concluded.
The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks came just hours after Iran’s state-run news agency (IRNA) reported that a senior Iranian cleric, Gholamreza Qassemian, was “arrested by Saudi police” in Medina, west of Saudi Arabia.
A day prior on Monday, IRNA had relayed that “Hojjat al-Islam Qassemian” - a title denoting senior religious scholarship - was detained after “recording a short video in the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi), and following its circulation on social media networks, Saudi authorities arrested him.”
In the now-viral video, Qassemian delivers a fiery critique of the handling of the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, alleging a commercialization of Islam’s most sacred places.
“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,” Qassemian stated.
He added that “instead of traveling to [the secular city of] Antalya [in Turkey],” which is known for its beaches, historical sites and vibrant nightlife, “you can travel to Mecca and Medina,” describing these changes as “not a natural phenomenon, and not merely atheism, but the will of atheism being implemented.”
Besides his religious rank, Qassemian is closely linked to Iran’s hardliner camp, particularly to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was re-elected as Iran’s parliament speaker on Tuesday. In 2020, Ghalibaf appointed Qassemian as director of the Parliament’s Library, Museum, and Documentation Center.
He is also a prominent figure in Iran’s religious and cultural landscape, known as a judge and host of the popular Quranic TV program "Mahfel" aired on Iran TV.
On Tuesday, IRNA quoted Majid Rezapanah, the head of the Consular and Judicial Support Department at the Iranian foreign ministry, as stating that Iran’s consular department has been actively following up on Qassemian’s detention through the Iranian consulate in Jeddah.
“From the first moments of his detention, the political and consular representation of the Islamic Republic in Saudi Arabia took action and issued an official note demanding his release,” Rezapanah said.
“Due to the intense follow-up… the deputy consul general of the Islamic Republic in Jeddah has so far met with him [Qassemian] twice, and a third consular meeting is scheduled to take place soon,” the consular official explained.
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