Ansari added: “This deliberate attempt by the Saudi government is in violation of all the conventions and regulation of worldwide law on the protection and the security of diplomatic premises in all situations, and the responsibility for the action, as well as compensation for damage done to the building and injuries to the embassy staff, lies with the government of Saudi Arabia”.
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The Houthis, an Iran-backed Shiite rebel group, seized the Yemeni capital in September 2014, forcing the Saudi-backed, Sunni-led government into exile.
He said the coalition would investigate Iran’s accusation and added that the Houthis has used civilian facilities including abandoned embassies.
The diplomatic standoff between Iran and Saudi Arabia began on Saturday, when the kingdom executed al-Nimr and 46 others convicted of terror charges – the largest mass execution it has carried out since 1980.
The storming of the missions followed Saudi Arabia’s execution last week of a top Shiite cleric who was also an opposition figure.
Somalia joins Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Bahrain in cutting ties to Iran amid the crisis.
At the same time the row has dealt another blow to the unity of the OPEC oil cartel, which includes both Iran and Saudi Arabia, at a time when a glut of crude on world markets has sent prices plunging.
According to witnesses quoted by the BBC, the missiles only struck in the vicinity of the embassy, and there was no damage to the building itself. “Peace in Middle East depends on the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran”, Retno said. The United Arab Emirates also scaled down its diplomatic representation in Iran and Kuwait recalled their ambassadors to Tehran.
The Iranian ambassador was also told that the safety of foreign diplomatic missions was a responsibility of host countries; therefore, the attacks against Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad could not be explained and accepted. Saudi Arabia had announced on Monday that Riyadh was halting trade links and air traffic with the Islamic Republic.
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Meanwhile on Thursday, Iran banned the import of goods from Saudi Arabia over the tensions, according to a report by Iranian state television. Iran had already ruled that the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina would be suspended until Riyadh can ensure “higher safety standards”. President Hassan Rouhani called the angry reaction to Nimr’s killing “only natural” and slammed Saudi Arabia for severing ties in response.
