Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting extremists and “promoting sectarian hatred”, urging the country to instead engage in promoting regional stability.
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Arab foreign ministers condemned attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran and warned on Sunday that the country would face wider opposition if it continued its “interference” in the internal affairs of Arab states.
Recently, thousands of Iranians demonstrated against Saudi Arabia for the January 2 execution of a top Shiite cleric.
“So this incident is not necessarily within a chain of constantly deteriorating climate” between Iran and Saudi, Tabatabai said, referring to Nimr’s execution and the subsequent sacking of the Saudi embassy in Tehran. After a mob in Tehran attacked the Saudi embassy, the government in Riyadh severed diplomatic and some commercial ties, and several allies followed suit.
Drawing upon the companionship of some Arab states in severing or downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran, he said that some states are trying to solve their economic problems by Saudi petro-dollars or they share political interests with Riyadh.
The Iranian government quickly distanced itself from the attack, saying the protesters had entered the Saudi embassy despite widespread efforts by the police to stop them. “Saudi Arabia’s approach is to create tension meant to negatively affect the Syrian crisis”, Mr Zarif said.
“It is Iran that has committed the aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
Though it was the executions of Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shi-ite cleric and three other Shi’ite Muslims, which drove up sectarian tension with Shi-ite power Iran, analysts say they were meant mostly to send a signal to militant Sunnis.
According to Iranian news agencies, the Iranian foreign ministry objected to the decision of the municipal councils of Tehran and Mashhad to name two streets close to the Saudi embassy and consulate after Nimr Al-Nimr and ordered that the previous names of the two streets be reinstated.
A knock-on effect for peace talks on Syria?
Chinese ally Russian Federation has also indicated it is ready to invite the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers to Moscow for negotiations. “In Iran I got the same assurance”, he said.
“Saudi Arabia has collapsed and has been isolated”.
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Officials have not said if that was linked to the embassy attack.
