Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of ‘airstrikes’ on its embassy in Yemen

Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of launching an aerial attack against its embassy in Yemen’s capital, escalating the two nations’ growing conflict.

Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran this week after Iranian mobs attacked Saudi diplomatic compounds.

The Iranians and the Saudis have been fighting a proxy war in Yemen since last March, with a Saudi-led coalition battling Shi’ite Houthi rebels who enjoy the support of Iran.

“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.

Iranian women gather during a demonstration against the execution of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities, at Imam Hossein Square in the capital Tehran, January 4, 2016.

Also yesterday, Iran banned all products from Saudi Arabia and said a ban on Iranians travelling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the umrah pilgrimage would remain in place “until further notice”. He told Reuters a Sanaa resident went to the embassy Thursday and reported no damage. Erdogan said later however, that the executions were Saudi Arabia’s internal affair.

A dispute over Riyadh’s execution of an opposition Shiite cleric prompted attacks on Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran.

Crisis in Saudi Arabia-Iran relations will invariably complicate the situation in region’s other countries, such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq, senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, James Dorsey believes.

Several world leaders have expressed concern about Riyadh’s decision to cut its diplomatic ties with Iran. Shia-dominated areas in eastern Saudi Arabia, the home of al-Nimr, held a three-day mourning period for the cleric. The United Arab Emirates downgraded the level of diplomatic representation and Kuwait and Qatar recalled their ambassadors. Al-Nimr has already been buried but his supporters have reportedly planned a symbolic funeral for today. 96 million a year and consisted mostly of packing materials and textiles.