_Arabia_
Trusted Member
How many times are we going to discuss 1 such example (only one that I am aware of in all of recorded history moreover) - Khashoggi (8 years ago now) ? If you make a botched operation, you tend to get rid of the evidence. He was killed before that occurred. Moreover he was likely some double agent or spy otherwise he would not end up like that. 100's of Saudi Arabian dissidents/regime critics living abroad for decades and nobody ever bothered them or targeted them. Some of the most prominent ones live in the UK, no less.
Not that long ago (pre-9/11) some of those same dissidents were wanted troublemakers/terrorists that the same West called political dissidents.
Prince Bandar gave a very telling interview to US media right after 9/11.
But once again, critics mostly have that 1 example.
The Iranian regime in January 2026 alone, killed between 7.000-35.000 of their own protestors.
2025–2026 Iranian protests - Wikipedia
One just needs to google Iranian protests and uprisings since 1979 and there will literally be 20's of such examples.
In 1988 alone the regime executed 10.000's of their own political opponents.
1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners - Wikipedia
Comparing KSA and Iran is quite frankly a joke.
One (KSA) is one of the wealthiest, richest, most stable, respected countries with great/close ties with almost every relevant and important regional country, Arab, Muslim and global powers alike (USA, China, Russia).
The other (Iran) is an impoverished, sanctioned, disliked country (with an economy 2 times smaller than 10 million big UAE in comparison) with no allies other than the backward terrorist proxies that they have been opportunistically using and helping prop up since 1979. They don't even have cordial/close ties with one of the world's only other majority Shia countries in Azerbaijan next door. That should tell you something.
Relations with Pakistan were also much closer and cordial before 1979. Another hint.
They cannot get along with Afghanistan either that they share so much in common with.
And I never mentioned anything about 1000's of executions. I talked about the 1000's of Iranian protesters killed this year by the Iranian regime. Linked to it earlier.
As for executions, it is widely being reported by international media that Iran is executing (some underage) protestors at a rapid pace in order to climb down on dissent.
Some protests as well due to that recently.
Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In Isfahan
Videos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in the Iranian city of Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place. With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people chanting "Without honor!" amid a heavy security presence.
www.rferl.org
KSA (in the past) had to counter Iranian regime mischief and opportunistic meddling in the Arab and Muslim world since 1979. However KSA never created any terrorist proxy groups that acted like fifth columns in country x or y.
KSA only supported oppressed Muslim nations or Muslims who fought against non-Muslims or were attacked by them from Afghanistan (1980's against the Soviets that killed 1.5-2 million Afghan civilians during their invasion and occupation), Chechnya (Russian onslaughts and invasions in the 1990's and early 2000's), Bosnia in the 1990's and other areas of the Muslim world that were attacked. Iraqi insurgency in 2003 as well. Same in Afghanistan.
Of course support for the Syrian opposition and Syrian people against one of the most brutal regimes in the modern era (Al-Assad regime) that eventually ended up victorious and completely changed the region and its trajectory.
Other than that you had private individuals in the 10.000's going abroad to fight but that was their own personal decisions and some were anti-KSA regime to begin with and later became that vocally. No need to mention Al-Qaeda elements.
So not even remotely comparable IMO.
But you rightly state that KSA support and relations with Pakistan are one a completely different level compared to Iran-Pakistan relations and that should also be a hint about the ground realities.
Any way back to topic.
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