President Hassan Rouhani asked Iran’s judiciary on Wednesday to urgently prosecute the people who attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest at the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shi’ite cleric.
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Iran is reported to be backing the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al-Assad while Saudi Arabia is supporting what it calls “the moderate opposition”.
Iran has accused the Saudi-led coalition battling Shi’ite rebels in Yemen of attacking its embassy in the capital, Sanaa, but there were no signs of damage on the building.
It comprised US$132.2mn of Iranian exports, particularly fruit and steel, and US$40.2mn of imports from Saudi Arabia, mainly fabrics and packaging products.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran over the attacks on its diplomatic missions and Iran’s criticism of the execution, which Riyadh said amounted to meddling in its internal affairs.
The cabinet also reaffirmed a ban on Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca – which are both lucrative for Saudi Arabia and important to Muslims. The row has raised fears of an increase in sectarian tensions in the Middle East that could derail efforts to resolve pressing issues including the wars in Syria and Yemen. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led Sunni coalition conducting a military intervention in Yemen against anti-government Shia rebels known as the Houthis said there would be an investigation. In comments made to an Iranian news agency, Amir Abdollahian contended that deteriorating Iranian-Saudi relation will have an effect on the diplomatic effects in the Syrian conflict.
The tension with Saudi Arabia “will have no impact on Iran’s national development, ‘ Nobakht said”.
Saudi Arabian diplomats who had been based in Tehran have returned home to Riyadh’s with stories of mistreatment at the hands of Iranian officials. The United Arab Emirates also downgraded relations with Iran while Kuwait and Qatar recalled their ambassadors.
The government of Iraq, however, is straining to keep the peace amid the regional tumult.
Iran has warned Saudi Arabia to stop “adding fuel to the fire” as the diplomatic crisis between the two countries continues, with Djibouti the latest country to cut ties with Tehran. In response, a group of protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Iran, a demonstration that led Riyadh to cut off all ties with Tehran.
Meanwhile in Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said China has sent an envoy to Saudi Arabia and Iran, calling on all sides to exercise restraint. US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian and Saudi counterparts on Monday to urge calm as European leaders raised concerns and Moscow offered to mediate.
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LEBANESE HEZBOLLAH MOVEMENT – Hezbollah was founded in 1982 with the help of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards after Israel invaded Lebanon.
