Is "our friends" being used sarcastically here?

Generally speaking when we say "our friend" we are referring to someone who is a friend of ours.

However, I have noticed that at times these words are used sarcastically to refer to someone who is actually not a friend but an enemy/adversary.

So with respect to the sentence below, is the term our friend used as a form of irony?

Our friends the Saudis, who never persecute women, gays and other religious minority groups, have somehow managed to lead the UN Human Rights Council

Solution 1:

This is a form of irony.

Definition of IRONY

...

2 a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning

Merriam-Webster

Irony is very common in English (and particularly so in Britain). It is the basis of much humour but can also be used in non-humorous ways—particularly in sarcasm.

To find out more, you can search online. Here is an extended essay from Wikipedia.