Iran on Thursday said the warplanes had attacked its embassy in Yemen’s capital on Wednesday, an accusation that exacerbated tension between the major Shi’ite and Sunni powers in the region.
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A spokesman for Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Jaber Ansari, blamed Saudi Arabia for “damage to the embassy building and the injury to some of its staff”.
A Saudi-led coalition is backing Yemen’s government in its war against Iran-backed Shiite rebels who seized the capital Sanaa in September 2014. The execution immediately drew outrage from the Shiite world and culminated in an Iranian mob torching the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and clashes between the Shiite majority in Bahrain and the police in the Sunni-run country on January 3.
The Horn of African nation becomes the latest country to cut off diplomatic relations after Djibouti which severed its relations with Iran on Wednesday while Qatar has recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
‘The cabinet has banned the entry of all Saudi products and products from Saudi Arabia, ‘ a government statement said.
In his calls, which include conversations with the Saudi deputy crown prince and the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers in the last 24 hours, Kerry has stressed the importance of pushing forward on a peace deal for Syria, his spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Iran accused Saudi Arabia of “sectarian hate-mongering” and said the kingdom must choose between promoting extremism and fostering good relations in the Middle East.
Earlier Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced that its air forces shot down a missile fired from Yemen, where the kingdom is leading an anti-rebel coalition.
Annual imports from Saudi Arabia total about $60 million a year and consisted mostly of packing materials and textiles.
“Iran considers it as a legal obligation to protect diplomats of foreign countries”, he said, adding that Iran seeks friendly ties with the regional states as well as its neighbors.
Tehran’s accusation came amid a rise in tensions between Tehran and Riyadh in recent days after attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
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What led to the Saudi Arabia – Iran conflict?
