Iran claims Saudi airstrike on Yemen embassy amid deepening tensions

The Iranian media believes Djibouti, Sudan and Bahrain sympathized with Saudi Arabia to sanction Iran after protests against the execution of a Shiite cleric followed by the attack on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran. Shia-dominated areas in eastern Saudi Arabia, the home of al-Nimr, held a three-day mourning period for the cleric.

Residents and witnesses in the capital Sanaa said there was no damage to the embassy building in Hadda district.

Iran yesterday accused Saudi warplanes of deliberately bombing its embassy in Yemen, in a new escalation of diplomatic tensions that have reverberated across the Middle East.

On January 2, Riyadh announced the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, inciting a response in Iran, where the Saudi diplomatic missions were stormed by protesters.

A foreign ministry official, who wanted to remain anonymous, told euronews that the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran does not require intervention by a third party, and, if necessary, the two countries will negotiate directly with each other.

As for the continued fallout, 54 Iranian diplomats and their families arrived back in Tehran from Riyadh – their service cut short after Saudi Arabia severed all ties with Iran. The decision was made in a cabinet meeting chaired by President Hassan Rouhani, according to Iranian student news agency ISNA.

Annual imports from Saudi Arabia total about $60 million a year and consisted mostly of packing materials and textiles.

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

Though thousands of Iraqi Shias took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Baghdad has taken a more cautious line.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said his country, which cut ties with Iran this past week, would considering taking further measures.

It comes amid growing diplomatic confrontations between Shiite power Iran and Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies that threaten to widen sectarian rifts around the region.