Sudan And Bahrain Join Saudi Arabia, Cutting Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Bahrain and Sudan joined Saudi Arabia in severing diplomatic relations with Iran on Monday as the worst crisis in three decades between the region’s rival Sunni and Shiite powers drew worldwide expressions of alarm.

The move was immediately condemned by Iran, which has also been supporting Shiite fighters who are clashing with a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Russian Federation on Monday urged Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states to exercise restraint and offered to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Emirates were downgrading ties with Tehran “in the light of Iran’s continuous interference in the internal affairs of Gulf and Arab states, which has reached unprecedented levels”.

In his conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Ban expressed “disappointment” over the execution of al-Nimr, whose case he had raised with Riyadh many times, said Dujarric.

“The diplomatic police are responsible for confronting any aggression against the diplomatic sites of Saudi Arabia and will act according to its duties to maintain public order and restore security to such places”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said.

In Iran, demonstrations were held in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters, censuring the Al Saud family for the killing of the top cleric as part of a crackdown on Shias mostly residing in the kingdom’s Eastern Province.

The minister added that Riyadh was right to execute leading Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Bahraini officials have blamed Iran for training militants and attempting to smuggle arms into the country, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Iran’s government, meanwhile, insisted it was not involved in the attack on the embassy that it was treating the attack seriously, that it was committed to protecting diplomats, and that Saudi Arabia was using the attack as an excuse to inflame tensions between the country.

After listing the crimes of 43 al Qaeda members also put to death on Saturday alongside four Shi’ites, Jubeir said of the executions: “We should be applauded for this, not criticised”.

United Nations deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said de Mistura “hopes that the adverse consequences of the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran do not affect the peace process with the Syrians”.

Saudi Arabia announced its dissolution of diplomatic ties with Iran Sunday, requesting all Iranian diplomats depart the country within 48 hours.

When Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran from 1988 to 1991, Iran stopped its pilgrims from attending the hajj.

With the threat of further sectarian violence triggered by the executions in predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom called for calm.