Saudi newspaper Al-Watan published a cartoon Wednesday suggesting Iran will use sanctions relief from the nuclear deal to pump money into terrorism.
The cartoon depicts Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turning the dial on an oil pipeline labeled “nuclear agreement.” Money, marked with the U.S. dollar sign, funnels into the mouth of a dark-clad figure labeled “terrorism.”
Al-Watan Cartoon
As the dominant Sunni Gulf state, Saudi Arabia sees Shiite Iran as a threat to its leadership in the region. This is particularly in view of Iran’s increased military presence in the region, supporting the Syrian regime, Shiite militias in Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran and six world powers reached an agreement in Vienna Tuesday, placing restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program for approximately 10 years. In return, Iran is expected to receive more than $100 billion in frozen assets from the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. (RELATED: World Powers Strike Historic Nuclear Agreement With Iran)
Many analysts and U.S. leaders have expressed concern over how Iran will spend this money. One State Department official told The Daily Beast, “We are of course aware and concerned that, despite the massive domestic spending needs facing Iran, some of the resulting sanctions relief could be used by Iran to fund destabilizing actions.”
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