Iran believes Saudi Arabia 's security is linked to its own security, an Iranian foreign ministry official said Wednesday, reacting to a Saudi allegation that Tehran was "targeting" the kingdom.

" Iran has always wanted the stability, peace and progress of Saudi Arabia ," the Fars news agency quoted the unidentified official as saying.

"The security of Saudi Arabia and Iran are linked and the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the security of Saudi Arabia is like its own security," the official said.

Saudi Arabia 's Al-Eqtissadiya daily on Monday quoted interior minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz as saying that the kingdom, which has been shaken by a wave of bloody attacks by al-Qaeda, was still threatened by terrorism.

He referred to " Iran and its targeting of the kingdom," but didn't elaborate.

The Iranian official expressed "surprise" at such claims, saying they were "baseless and aimed at creating doubts among the countries of the region."

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia rose sharply in March when Saudi troops intervened in Bahrain to help the Gulf kingdom's Sunni ruling family suppress month-long protests led by its Shiite majority community, triggering angry protests from Tehran .

Tensions between Shiite Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbors have eased in recent weeks, together with a reduction in angry exchanges between the two nations.

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