Iranian commander rejects claims of regional interference, calls Saudis adventurists

A leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard rejected on Sunday accusations that Iran was interfering in regional affairs and accused Saudi Arabia of "adventurism".

In rare remarks, Commander Qassem Soleimani, one of the most influential figures in Iran, suggested the Saudis were responsible for militant Islamist groups such as Islamic State.

"Takfir and takfiris" - Shi'ite terms for Sunni extremists - "are a fire within the house of our Sunni brothers," Soleimani said. "And the people who created them thought that the Islamic Republic and Shias would fall to their knees.

"It’s Saudi which has engaged in adventurism against Islam and us."

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-politics-soleimani-idUSKCN0WF0RI