Prince Mohammed bin Salman says Iran’s leader ‘makes Hitler look good’

THE Saudi prince had some tough words for his rivals, but only made an admission no other Middle East leader has ever made.

SAUDI Arabia’s de facto leader has taken a huge swipe at his Middle East rivals, describing them as the “triangle of evil”.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also let loose on Iran’s Supreme Leader comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

In a revealing interview with The Atlantic, the Prince described Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Sunni terror as being on one side.

He told the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg an alliance of self-described moderate states including Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman were on the other.

However when it came to Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Crown Prince didn’t hold back.

“I believe the Iranian supreme leader makes Hitler look good. Hitler didn’t do what the supreme leader is trying to do,” he said.

“Hitler tried to conquer Europe … The supreme leader is trying to conquer the world.”

In the interview, he also said Israel has a “right” to a homeland, a notable shift in the kingdom’s position.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is currently in the United States as part of a three-week tour. Picture: Eskinder Debebe/United Nations/AP

Saudi Arabia and Israel still have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes, improvements in their ties have accelerated in recent years.

Both countries see Iran as their biggest outside threat and the United States as their key ally, and both see danger from armed Islamist extremists.

Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians has long proved an obstacle to a full rapprochement, however, as Riyadh still supports their claim to sovereignty.

But the Prince appeared to put the rival land claims on an equal footing for the first time.

The prince was asked whether the “Jewish people have a right to a nation-state in at least part of their ancestral homeland?”

“I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation,” said the Prince, who is on a three-week US tour.

“I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land.

“But we have to have a peace agreement to assure the stability for everyone and to have normal relations.”

Saudi Arabia has been the main sponsor of the Arab Peace Initiative, which envisions a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, since 2002.

No such senior Saudi official is known to have previously accepted that Israel has a “right” to any land beyond the practical need to secure a lasting deal.

If, as expected, the Crown Prince succeeds his octogenarian father King Salman and ascends to the Saudi throne, he will also become guardian of Islam’s holiest shrines.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pictured with US Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan at the Saudi-US Partnership Gala event in Washington, DC last week. Picture: Saudi Royal Palace/Bandar al-Jaloud/AFP

But he told Goldberg he had no “religious objection” to Israelis living alongside Palestinians, so long as the main Muslim holy site in Jerusalem — the Al-Aqsa mosque compound — is protected.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been hailed as a moderniser by some, however human rights group say he has seen executions double.

According to human rights watchdog Reprieve the number of executions has doubled since bin Salman took power.

It said Saudi Arabia “has been one of the world’s top five executing countries” for more than a decade”.

The Prince has also undertaken a huge anti-corruption crackdown, imprisoning hundreds of millionaires and even members of the royal family in Riyadh’s exclusive Ritz-Carlton hotel.

The luxury hotel made global headlines after it emerged hundreds of officials, rich businessman and members of the royal family were being detained there.

A damning New York Times report revealed prominent Saudis have also been left fearful and uncertain even after their release.

Hundreds of people accused of corruption spent weeks at a time there before paying huge sums to be released.

According to The New York Times, at least 17 detainees were hospitalised after facing abuse, while a Saudi general later died in custody with what witnesses said appeared to be a broken neck and a badly bruised body.
Critics claimed the Prince orchestrated the crackdown in a bold move to consolidate power.