Bahrain and Sudan Cut Ties with Iran; UAE Reduces Diplomatic Relations

One day after the severance of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, Bahrain also announced the cutting of its diplomatic ties with Iran. Isa Alhamadani, Bahrain's Minister of Media, announced this news on Monday, January 14. Bahrain has given Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave its territory. This decision by Manama follows severe tensions over the past two days between Tehran and Riyadh regarding the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia, which led to attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Bahrain has repeatedly accused Iran of interfering in its internal affairs and has claimed that since 2011, when the Arab Spring swept through some Middle Eastern and North African countries, Iran has supported Shiite protests against the ruling royal family. According to Arab media, the head of the Sudanese presidency's office also informed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia that Khartoum has expelled the Iranian ambassador. Al-Arabiya reported that Taha Osman al-Hussein condemned Iran's "interventionist actions in the region" and stated that Sudan stands with the Saudi kingdom in the fight against terrorism. Sudan has also recalled its ambassador from Tehran. Reuters has reported that the United Arab Emirates has reduced its level of diplomatic relations with Tehran and has also recalled its ambassador. The Arab League condemned the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. The Kuwaiti state news agency published a statement from Nabil al-Arabi, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, which described these attacks as a "flagrant violation of the UN Charter and conventions" and added that "the full responsibility for protecting these premises lies with the Iranian government according to the 1961 Vienna Convention." He also called for Iran to respect the principle of "non-interference in the internal affairs" of Arab countries. Nabil al-Arabi also stated that "no party has the right to comment on the judicial rulings of other countries." State news agencies from Qatar and Kuwait reported statements from the Qatari Foreign Ministry and Mazrouq Ali Al-Ghanem, the Speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament, which described the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran as a "flagrant violation of a country's obligations to protect these premises and their staff and a violation of the Vienna Convention," emphasizing their "full solidarity" with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the brother of Sheikh Nimr condemned the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions. On the same day, the brother of the executed Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia, Mohammed al-Nimr, condemned the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. He wrote on his Twitter account in English: "We love our country." He added, "We appreciate your expressions of love and affection for the martyr Sheikh Nimr, who holds a place in our hearts, but we reject the attacks on Saudi embassies in Iran or elsewhere." He also mentioned that Saudi officials have not yet handed over his brother's body and informed them that his brother has been buried. Mohammed al-Nimr expressed hope that "officials will quickly respond to our legitimate request and hand over his body for burial in Awamiyah, his hometown." Awamiyah is located on the outskirts of the predominantly Shiite city of Qatif in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. At the same time, France and Russia reacted to the latest developments in Iran-Saudi relations by urging both countries to reduce tensions. According to Reuters, French government spokesman Stéphane Le Foll stated on Monday that "we must remain vigilant regarding events between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and France calls on both sides to reduce tensions." The Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying: "We are sorry that tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, with which we have close relations and which are very important regional powers, have increased so much." This source added that "we have always sought mutual understanding among Islamic countries." The Russian Foreign Ministry has called for a reduction in tensions while stating that attacks on embassies cannot be a legal form of protest. The impact of the severance of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims was also discussed on Monday, with the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the First Vice President, as well as Hossein Noosh Abadi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, holding a press conference. According to ISNA news agency, Noosh Abadi responded to a question about the impact of the severance of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims, stating: "Although the policy of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has been to avoid getting involved in political issues and diplomatic relations, naturally, the severance of political relations will also affect other areas, and we cannot currently make a clear statement about the Hajj and pilgrimage plans." Hossein Noosh Abadi also became the first official Iranian figure to explicitly state the legality of gatherings in front of the Saudi embassy, saying: "Attacking embassies and assaulting them is an unlawful and unreasonable behavior; the gathering itself is legal, but assaulting embassies and consulates is illegal." Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that police dispersed the demonstrators at 1:30 AM on Sunday. This news agency also claimed that the gathering in front of the Saudi embassy was held with "legal permits."