Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei asserted that “the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Ahvaz are funded by Saudi and UAE regimes;” adding that “we will rigorously punish the cowardly masterminds behind the attack," Press TV reported.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the bitter incident “once again showed that the Iranian nation is faced with many enemies on its honorable path to progress and excellence.”

Describing the attack on defenseless people as an act of cowardice, the Leader noted, “According to [available] reports, this cowardly act has been perpetrated by the same people who are saved by Americans whenever they face a difficult situation in Iraq and Syria” and whose operations are being financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.