Iran urges Muslims to unite against US

TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged Muslims worldwide on Saturday to unite against the United States and assured Saudis they were "brothers" who had nothing to fear from Tehran.

US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran in May and has since reimposed crippling unilateral sanaction.

"What the United States wants of the Middle East today is enslavement," Rouhani told an Islamic unity conference in Tehran.

Instead of "rolling out the red carpet for criminals," Muslim governments should unite against the United States and "the region’s cancerous tumour", Israel, he said.

Rouhani urged Iran’s rival Saudi Arabia to end its dependence on "insulting" US military aid.

"We are ready to defend the Saudi people’s interests against terrorism and superpowers with all our might," he said.

"We do no ask $450 billion for it and will not insult you."

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in January 2016 after protesters stormed its diplomatic missions in Iran following its execution of a prominent cleric.

It accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among the Gulf Arab states and the two governments have supported opposing sides in devastating civil wars in Syria and Yemen.

Rouhani said the people of Iran consider the Saudi people as their “brothers.” He said Tehran is ready to defend the Saudi nation’s interests against terrorism without expecting anything in return.

“We are ready to defend the interests of the Saudi people against terrorism, aggressors and superpowers with all our might, like we helped the people of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen,” he said.

“We do not ask $450 billion for it and will not insult you,” Rouhani said, referring to US military deals during President Donald Trump’s first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia and his unflattering remarks about the kingdom.

“You gifted them $450 billion to guarantee your security; you purchased $110 billion worth of weapons. You were told you were a milk cow which had to be milked. They told you without them you would not last two weeks.”

During his election campaign in Maryland in 2016, Trump openly called Saudi Arabia a “milk cow” that should be milked to the last drop and when its milk was over, it should be beheaded.

In October, the US president made another undiplomatic remark about Saudi Arabia, saying he warned King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US military.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman.

But I said ‘King - we’re protecting you - you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi.

Trump chose Saudi Arabia as the first destination of his first foreign tour as the president of the US and during the visit, he signed military deals worth $350 billion over 10 years, plus $110 billion to take effect immediately.