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Witness sees no damage at Iran Embassy in Yemen

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of backing the Houthis.

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Erdogan on Wednesday said that Nimr’s execution was an “internal legal matter” for Saudi Arabia, and ties between Ankara and Riyadh have improved in recent months.

Citing longstanding differences that became a full-blown split after Saudi Arabia executed Shiite cleric and activist Nimr al Nimr, Zarif said the Sunni-ruled kingdom had sought systematically to inflict damage.

The comments came as 54 Iranian diplomats and their families returned to Iran after the Shiite regime cut diplomatic ties with the Saudis following the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

While al-Jaafari referred to that execution as a “crime”, he also said Iraq was ready to act as a mediator to ease tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led Arab coalition has been carrying out air strikes since March in Yemen against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels.

Russian Federation offered to intervene in the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh declined.

Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said the claim would be investigated but that accusations based on the Houthis “have no credibility”, Reuters reported.

“Attacking the Saudi embassy is condemned and its agents are all criminals, which is why the government, judiciary, and the parliament condemed it from the start”, added Kashani.

The protesters took to the streets after Friday prayers in the town of Sitra, south of the Bahraini capital of Manama, chanting slogans against the government, which is allied with Saudi Arabia’s Sunni monarchy.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Canberra angered by the execution of cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, who was critical of the kingdom’s treatment of its Shiite minority.

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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. Iran imported about $60 million per year in Saudi goods.

Protesters hold a rally in Tehran to show their anger at the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr