Iran: Saudi Arabia bombed our embassy in Yemen

Erdogan dismissed suggestions that the executions were aimed at provoking tensions with Shiite Muslims and also said the attack on the Saudi mission was “unacceptable”.

Asked about the possibility of war, Prince Mohammed said: “It is something that we do not foresee at all, and whoever is pushing towards that is somebody who is not in their right mind”.

That diplomatic rift has dampened hopes for a timely resolution to Yemen’s civil war, where Iran backs Houthi rebels who are seeking to reinstall former president Saleh. Hours later on Sunday, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Iran.

The spike in tensions comes after Iran previous year secured a historic nuclear deal with world powers led by the United States, causing major concern in longtime U.S. ally Riyadh. Other countries have downgraded their ties to Iran.

Tehran said an unspecified number of embassy staff had been wounded in the raid on the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa, which has been targeted by months of air strikes by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Iran’s government on Thursday banned all imports of products made in Saudi Arabia, according to student news agency ISNA. According to United Nations figures, the ongoing conflict in Yemen has claimed the lives of more than 5,800 people, with the Saudi-led coalition conducting airstrikes and fighting on the ground in order to restore Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s ousted government.

Iran warned Saudi Arabia to stop working against it yesterday as their diplomatic crisis intensified despite efforts to defuse a row that has raised fears of regional instability.

Iran also said on Thursday that Saudi warplanes had attacked its embassy in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, an accusation that Riyadh said it would investigate.

He added that the militants had used civilian buildings including abandoned embassies. China is stepping into the fray between Saudi Arabia and Iran, calling for restraint and sending an envoy to try to de-escalate the situation after Sunni-majority Riyadh executed a Shiite cleric last week, angering Tehran, Reuters reported Thursday.

Iranian officials condemned the attacks, with President Hassan Rouhani calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.