The Saudi Embassy in London issued a statement refuting claims in the UK media that Saudi Arabia supports the Islamic State. Saudi Arabia has previously banned Islamic State predecessor ISIS, as well as the Al Nusrah Front, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Saudi branch of Hezbollah. In a recent interview, popular Saudi cleric Sheikh Mohammad al-Arifi denied having called for jihad in Syria and supported al Qaeda in a statement last year on al Jazeera, denied having met with former Brotherhood prime minister Hisham Qandil, and denied having predicted the arrival of the caliphate.
