TEHRAN – Kamal Kharrazi, former Iranian foreign minister and current head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, has said that Saudi Arabia’s plot to put pressure on Qatar is aimed at clearing itself of the blame as the biggest sponsor of terrorism, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

“Everyone knows that takfiri terrorist ideologies and the emergence of al-Qaeda and Daesh [terrorist] groups are rooted in Wahhabism which itself is a product of Saudi Arabia,” Kharrazi said, adding that such groups enjoy the financial and political support of the Saudi government.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia and its regional friends, including the UAE and Bahrain, ended their diplomatic ties with Qatar and blocked routes leading to the Persian Gulf country after accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.

Kharrazi, who served as Iran’s foreign minister from 1997 to 2005, further said that through this move, Riyadh is serving the interests of Israel.

Trump has supported Saudi Arabia against Qatar and Israel has not concealed its happiness over the action, he said.

MH/PA