Addressing a conference at the prestigious Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister slammed the Saudi crown prince as “simple-minded” over his approach and rhetoric toward the Islamic Republic.

In a ceremony May 1 to commemorate Professors’ Day at the university, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about current developments in the world and in the region. As he entered the university's premises, a group of students believed to belong to the Basij association on campus held signs with slogans against the nuclear deal and the Foreign Ministry’s emphasis on constructive engagement with the world. According to local media, a number of the students attacked Zarif’s vehicle, punching and kicking it.

In reference to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Zarif stated, “The young, simple-minded Saudi comes and says, ‘We aren’t afraid of Iran, [and] Iran is the fifth military power of the Islamic world.’ Now I wonder if this is true, then why are they moaning and shouting [about Iran] this much?”

Zarif continued, “In the past year, Saudi Arabia was the third in the world in terms of buying weapons. They spent $67 billion, and this amount of arms purchases indicates how worried they are. They are acknowledging that they aren’t able to resist Iran, because the sources of power have changed. They aren’t even able to overcome Qatar. Qatar has brought Saudi Arabia to its knees, because the sources of power and the tools for reaching power have changed.”