US, Iran Send Dueling Complaints to UN Over ‘Plot’

Iran Warns Saudis Not to Fall for 'Baseless' Claims

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has received two complaints related to the “assassination plot” against a Saudi Ambassador in Washington DC, one from the Obama Administration and one from Iran.

The exact content of the US letter was not made public, but given Obama Administration rhetoric it presumably blamed Iran for the entire affair and demanded the international community back whatever the US decides to do about it.

Iran’s own letter, in keeping with the lack of evidence implicating them, condemned the US for making hasty allegations, and insisted it set a dangerous precedent to allow countries to make up culprits for dubious plots. Iranian officials are also said to have urged the Saudis to tread carefully regarding the allegation, saying it was “baseless” and ought not to be taken at face value.

Many foreign analysts seem to be agreeing with Iran on this one, saying the plot sounds just too far-fetched and fits too neatly into the Obama Administration’s existing policy goals.

And even though the US and Saudi policies on Iran are both similar, the Saudi government seems to be cautious as well, condemning the plot but stopping short of actually blaming the Iranian government for it, and saying they would make a “measured response” to the plot.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.