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  World   Middle East  24 Nov 2017  Hitler of Middle East: Saudi crown prince on Iran’s ‘supreme leader’

Hitler of Middle East: Saudi crown prince on Iran’s ‘supreme leader’

REUTERS
Published : Nov 24, 2017, 3:22 pm IST
Updated : Nov 24, 2017, 3:22 pm IST

The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shi'ite theocracy Iran are arch rivals.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. (Photo: AFP)
 Prince Mohammed bin Salman suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. (Photo: AFP)

Dubai: Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals.

The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shi'ite theocracy Iran back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region.

Read: Fear over Iran draws Isreal, Arab countries closer; PM Netanyahu hails cooperation

Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defense minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted.

"But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn't work. We don't want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East," the paper quoted him as saying.

Tags: prince mohammed bin salman, ayatollah khomenei, shiite movement, sunni muslim kingdom
Location: United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Dubai