Expert on Iranian affairs Sheikh Omar bin Abdul Aziz al-Zaid warned that Iranian pilgrims are expected to stage more riots this year to distract the world from the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime as well as to put pressure on Saudi Arabia.

“Iran will never waste a chance to achieve its goals and move its operatives in the region,” he told Al Arabiya.

Zaid cited the example of Hezbollah al-Hejaz, the militant group charged with the 1996 bombings in the eastern city of al-Khobar, which he argued is one of Iran’s main tools in the region.

“Several of the group’s members still live in Iran and one of them is Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mughassil.”

Mughassil, who is wanted in the United States for his role in the Khobar terrorist attacks, has been identified as the head of the pro-Iranian group, which operates in other Gulf countries like Kuwait and Bahrain.

For Zaid, who hosts several shows on Iran like “Shiite Revisions,” “A Window on Iran,” and “Iran from Inside”, Iran’s main purpose is to prove that Saudi Arabia in not capable of protecting pilgrims, which helps in the call for the Internationalization of Islam’s two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina.

“Iran has been wanting to [discredit the Kingdom] since the Islamic Revolution erupted in 1979, but they will never get what they want because Saudi Arabia is honored to serve and protect the two holy sites and all the Muslim nation supports it.”

He added that Iran’s attempts to wreak havoc in Saudi Arabia or other countries in the region are meant to divert the attention from its own internal problems as well as the weakening of its allies Hezbollah and the Syrian regime. The plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the United States is one of those attempts, he argued.

“Through this plot, Iran mixed different files and thought it can solve many problems like what is happening in Iran and Syria and also wanted to get back at Saudi Arabia for supporting Syrian revolutionaries.”

Zaid pointed out that Iran is taking advantage of Shiite minorities in Gulf countries in order to reach its goals.

“Iran wants to give the whole world the impression that Saudi Arabia is a repressive country that persecutes minorities and tries to put pressure on the kingdom by empowering Shiite minorities.”

Zaid explained that Iran issues false statements about the number of Shiites in Saudi Arabia, which he says do not exceed four percent of the population, and works on establishing more Shiite congregation halls, also called “Hussainia,” in Gulf countries.

“By focusing on allegations that Saudi Shiites are persecuted, Iran aims to cover up the discriminatory practices of its regime against minorities in its territories. More than seven million Arab-Iranians, seven million Kurds, and three million Baluch are persecuted in addition to the Turkmens.”

On the other hand, Zaid stated, this is not the case in Saudi Arabia.

“We have never seen a Saudi Shiite hanged while this happens all the time in Iran even with Shiite Arabs just because they are not Persian. The whole world saw the pregnant Ahwaz woman who was hanged.”

Iran, Zaid pointed out, also tries to hide the general resentment of Iranians against the regime.

“All reformist leaders are in jail and all Iranians live in a big jail. Iran is a repressive country par excellence,” he concluded.

(This article was translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)