Ahmad Khatami
Ahmad KhatamiReuters

A senior Iranian cleric threatened Saudi Arabia in a sermon this past Friday, labelling it as the enemy and adding that if it “tries to cause even the slightest harm to the great Iranian nation, [the masses] will shatter the enemy's teeth to smithereens inside its mouth."

The comments by Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Khatami's comments come amid continuing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, its regional rival. The tensions increased last week when Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation in a speech he gave from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah as one of the reasons for his decision.

Following Hariri's announcement, Saudi Arabia said that Lebanon had declared war against it because of “aggression” against the Kingdom by Hezbollah.

Khatami is no stranger to threats and controversial comments. He previously said that Iran still considers the United States to be “the Great Satan” despite the nuclear agreement that it signed with world powers, including the U.S.

When Barack Obama was in office, Khatami said that the Iranian president should “punch the American president in the mouth” if he “talks nonsense.”