Zarif: Trump 'pumping' Saudi Arabian money

Teheran's first reaction to the speech by the US President in Riyadh, in front of 35 heads of state. For Trump and King Salman Iran "supports, arms and trains terrorists, militias." Contracts signed between US and Saudi for about $ 400 billion in arms supplies and security.

Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Last night Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denounced US President Donald Trump’s attacks on Tehran contained in a speech delivered in Riyadh, suggesting that his words were aimed at “pumping” money from Saudi Arabia. Trump's speech, accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism, was pronounced in front of 35 heads of state, including anti-democratic Gulf monarchies.

In Tehran’s first response, Zarif noted ironically: "Iran, which has just held free and fair elections, is attacked by the US president in this bastion of democracy and moderation" (referring to Riyadh). "Is it about foreign policy or pumping $ 480 billion" from the king of Saudi Arabia?

In fact, the big success of this US President's trip to Riyadh is the signing of contracts worth about 400 billion, which will produce "many jobs in the US," as Trump boasted. A large portion of these contracts are for the supply of weapons and security to the Saudi monarchy, suspected of supporting Islamist anti-Assad groups and implicated in a war against Houthi populations in Yemen.

Trump's speech took place on his second day in Riyadh, on his first visit as head of state. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump will go to Israel today, then into the Occupied Territories of Palestine, then to the Vatican, Sicily (Italy), and Brussels.

Using words similar to those once used by George W. Bush, Trump said fighting against "Islamist extremism ... is a battle between good and evil."

And after saying that it is necessary to cut funding to terrorist groups, he weighed in against Iran claiming that "from Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region". " "Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it."

Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman called Iran "the spearhead of global terrorism."

• Saudi Arabia
• Iran
• United States of America
• Donald Trump
• Islam
• Terrorism
• Javad Zarif
• Salman
• Wahhabism
• Sunni
• Shiite