World Muslim body condemns attacks on Saudi missions in Iran

The meeting condemned the aggressions against the Saudi missions in Tehran and Mashhad, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Vienna Conventions and global law that guarantee the inviolability of diplomatic missions and respect for diplomatic missions accredited to any state in a clear and binding manner.

They acted after protesters burned Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following the kingdom’s January 2 execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

He added that Iran has condemned the attacks on Saudi missions in Iran and launched a thorough investigation into the incidents to identify and punish the perpetrators.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting: “My hope is after this conference tension is not escalated, I hope the conference plays its role to deescalate the situation”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s delegation at the meeting rejected the communiqué, saying Tehran dissociates itself from it. The Lebanese delegation also announced that the country distances itself from the communiqué.

The Saudi missions came under attacks after the KSA executed a Shia cleric as he was convicted of terrorism offences.

The Iranian diplomat said the OIC is yet to respond to challenges facing the Muslim world such as the Palestinians’ call for an inquiry into Israelis’ storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque. “It is clear that the continued deterioration of relations between some of our member states contributes to deepening rifts” among Islamic nations, Madani said. This will prevent conflicts “that will waste energy and hinder the development of our people”, he said.

“The statement has turned a blind eye to the realities of Saudi embassy event and Iranian government’s speedy measures in providing security… restoring calm and detaining those responsible for the event”, said Hossein Jaberi Ansari.

“The importance of this meeting is in the fact that this aggression is not the first but only a part of a series of continuous attacks that diplomatic missions have been subjected to in Iran for 35 years”, Jubeir said.

Tehran rejected the statement by The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as “unacceptable” on Friday, and in turn accused it of supporting “Saudi state terrorism”. Iran has also consolidated its influence in Iraq and Lebanon.

After his visit to Saudi Arabia, Xi will travel to Egypt where he will meet with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and deliver a speech at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League on China’s policies in the Middle East.

Nimr, a Saudi Shiite who spent more than a decade studying theology at Iran’s seminaries, was a force behind anti-government protests in eastern Saudi Arabia in 2011.