Swiss to represent Saudi Arabia in Iran after ties cut

Armed forces from around 20 countries were gathering in northern Saudi Arabia Sunday for “the most important” military manoeuvre ever staged in the region, the official news agency SPA reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a Riyadh press conference that the Swiss representation would largely help Iranians go to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimages including the hajj.

But the war of words continued on Sunday, with a senior Iranian commander warning Saudi Arabia against sending troops to Syria after Riyadh deployed combat aircraft to Turkey.

“The Arab and Islamic countries chose to hold joint military exercises on the invitation of Saudi Arabia, and all of the participants in the drills will get use out of them”, Ahmed Asiri said in a telephone interview.

Jazayeri further said that if Saudis had had the ability, they would have already sent troops to Syria.

The comments come as Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have taken rebel ground near Aleppo and are poised to advance on the Daesh stronghold of Raqqa province.

From “what country, except Turkey, do the terrorists commute to Syria?”

Separately, Jubeir said Switzerland would handle Saudi Arabia’s consular affairs in Iran and would facilitate Iranian pilgrims coming to the kingdom, following Riyadh’s decision to cut relations with Tehran.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran last month after protesters outraged over the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric set fire to the Saudi Embassy and another diplomatic mission.