Saudi Arabia said yesterday it had severed ties with Iran over the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, in a worsening diplomatic crisis between the two countries following the kingdom’s execution of a Shia cleric.
Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference that Iran’s diplomatic mission and related entities in Saudi Arabia had been given 48 hours to leave. He said Riyadh would not allow the Islamic Republic to undermine the Sunni kingdom’s security.
The State of Qatar along with the GCC, OIC and the Arab League yesterday strongly condemned the the attacks on the Saudi embassy and its consulate in Iran.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the attacks represented a clear violation of the Vienna 1961 Convention on Consular Relations.
It called on the Iranian government to provide the necessary protection to diplomatic missions and take the suitable legal measures against those responsible for the attack.
The statement also stressed the State of Qatar’s support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all the threats facing security and stability.
Condemning the attacks, GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani said that Iranian authorities bear the full responsibility of the attacks after they failed to prevent them and protect diplomatic missions in line with Vienna’s 1961 Convention on Consular Relations.
The GCC also condemned Iran’s hostile statements regarding Saudi Arabia’s execution of terrorists, considering it an intervention in Saudi internal affairs.
The Secretary-General concluded his remarks by saying that member countries support Saudi Arabia in all its measures to combat terrorism.
Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday summoned Iran’s ambassador to the UAE Mohamed Reza Fayyad.
The official WAM news agency said that the ministry handed the ambassador a written protest note over the Iranian intervention in the sovereign affairs of Saudi Arabia and the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.
“These acts represent a violation of international charters and norms,” the agency quoted the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying.
The Secretariat General of the Organisation of the Islamic Co-operation (OIC) also strongly condemned the attack, calling for respect the Vienna 1961 Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the International Law.
In a statement yesterday, the OIC Secretariat General stressed its support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts in combating terrorism and extremism.
The statement expressed OIC’s commitment and adherence to the organisation’s charter which requires “strict adherence to the principle of non-interference in the affairs mainly falling within the scope of the domestic legislation of any state; and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states”.
Arab League Secretary-General Dr Nabil al-Arabi has condemned the attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate.
He deemed this a flagrant violation of international charters and norms, holding the Iranian government responsible for protecting these diplomatic missions according to the Vienna Convention.
In a statement, al-Arabi confirmed the importance of the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran should respect the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries which have the legitimate right to maintain the security of their citizens, civil peace and social unity. He also stressed that no other party has the right to comment on judicial rulings of other countries.
The Secretary-General also hailed the efforts being exerted by Saudi Arabia in fighting terrorism and establishing security and stability in the kingdom and the region.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of sponsoring terror and undermining regional stability, as a diplomatic spat between both countries escalated over the kingdom’s execution of a Shia cleric.
The Shia cleric was among 47 people that the Saudi government said it had executed on Saturday after their convictions on terrorism-related charges.
Iranian protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran during a demonstration.
