Tehran ‘abandons’ religious leader arrested in Medina to preserve Saudi ties

Gholamreza Ghasemian was imprisoned for accusing the Wahhabi kingdom of "moral corruption" during the Hajj. His criticisms targeted bin Salman’s reforms opening the country to tourism and Western businesses. Iran’s judiciary voices criticism, while the government plays down the incident and praises Saudi Arabia’s organisation of the pilgrimage. Iranian executed for allegedly spying for Israel.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) – The arrest of an Iranian religious leader in Saudi Arabia threatens to undermine the fragile détente between Tehran and Riyadh, with top officials in the Islamic Republic – at least in public – adopting a conciliatory tone in the name of “Islamic unity”.

Behind this rhetoric, however, lies a clear attempt to avoid opening another regional front amid rising tensions – and potential conflict – with Israel, which continues its normalisation efforts with the Wahhabi kingdom under the Abraham Accords. Reflecting the tense backdrop is today’s news of the execution of an Iranian national, identified as Pedram Madani, for allegedly spying for Mossad and the State of Israel.

Hojatoleslam Gholamreza Ghasemian was arrested in Medina on 26 May after sharing an Instagram video criticising Saudi Arabia’s recent social and cultural reforms – including opening to tourism and Western companies – under the “Vision 2030” plan.

Yesterday, Iran’s judiciary condemned the arrest, which occurred while the cleric was in the kingdom for the Hajj, the major Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. In the video, Ghasemian also denounced what he called growing “moral corruption” in the kingdom.

Among the triggers for his outburst were recent rumours – denied by a Saudi official – that Riyadh might lift its 73-year ban on alcohol in certain parts of the country, supposedly in preparation for the 2034 World Cup. The claims, however, were unfounded. Iran’s judiciary described the arrest as “unjustified and illegal”, lashing out at their Saudi counterparts.

In the video, recorded in Medina, the 52-year-old Ghasemian accused Saudi Arabia of moral decline. “You no longer need to go to Antalya (in Turkey) for casinos, brothels, and obscene concerts; instead, you can come to Mecca and Medina, here!” he declared, warning of what he described as a “will to open the cradle of Islam to atheism.”

Ghasemian previously supported hardline presidential candidate Saeed Jalili in the 2024 elections and has longstanding ties to militants involved in the 2011 and 2016 attacks on the British and Saudi embassies in Tehran.

Tehran and Riyadh severed diplomatic ties in 2016 after the Saudi consulate in Iran was stormed, in response to the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The fallout had major regional implications, including the now-ended economic and diplomatic blockade of Qatar – long considered too close to Tehran.

The two regional powers, representing Sunni and Shiite Islam respectively, remain at odds over numerous issues, from Yemen and Syria to Iraq and Lebanon. However, in April 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) signalled a shift, expressing a desire for better relations with Tehran in the interest of regional stability.

The rapprochement was formalised in April 2023 through a China-brokered meeting in Beijing between the two nations’ foreign ministers, widely hailed as a “Saudi-Iranian peace deal”.

So far, Saudi authorities have refrained from commenting on the arrest, while Tehran is downplaying the incident to avoid jeopardising relations with Riyadh amid broader regional instability – from Israeli threats to ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States.

“Iran strongly condemns any attempt to harm Muslim unity, especially in the spiritual atmosphere of the Hajj,” wrote Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in English on X (formerly Twitter). He added that the government “will not allow anyone to sabotage relations with Saudi Arabia.”

He also referenced the pilgrimage – which had long been restricted to Iranian pilgrims during periods of heightened tension – noting: “The highly competent management of this year’s Hajj is well appreciated by Iran.”

Iran’s ambassador to Riyadh, Alireza Enayati, also sought to reassure Saudi authorities, openly disapproving of Ghasemian’s comments. “Pilgrims respect the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and abide by the prevailing regulations,” Enayati wrote in Arabic on X. “No one will condone offensive or inappropriate speech,” the diplomat concluded.