TEHRAN - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday ridiculed U.S. President Donald Trump’s sword dance with Saudi Arabia’s backward and tribal rulers, noting they are allying against Iran in vain.

Trump made a two-day visit to Riyahd on May 20 and 21. In his first day of arrival, he signed a $110 arms deal with the Saudis, one of the greates weapons sales contracts in history. On the second day of his trip, Trump, who was addressing an Arab-U.S. summit, accused Iran of firing the “flames of sectarian violence” in the Middle East.

The anti-Iran remarks came two days after the Islamic Republic held a landmark presidential election in which over 70 percent of the eligible voters participated in the election.

"The U.S. president stands alongside the leaders of a tribal and backward system and does the sword dance, but criticizes an Iranian election with 40 million votes," the Leader told tens of thousands of people marking the death anniversary of Imam Khomeini.

In addition to the arms deal, the U.S. signed contracts with Saudi Arabia worth more than 200 billion dollars.

In a tweet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Trump administration was is “milking” Saudi Arabia.

Analysts say the new Saudi rulers are signing lucrative contracts with the Trump administration in order to make the U.S. to adopt a more aggressive attitude toward Iran.

"Even with a multi-billion dollar bribe to America, the Saudis cannot achieve their goals in the region," the Leader remarked.

PA/PA