Maldives Cuts Diplomatic Relations with Iran

The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday, May 17, that it is ending its 40-year diplomatic relations with Tehran in protest against Iran's policies regarding peace and stability in the Middle East. According to the Associated Press, the Maldives Foreign Ministry criticized Iran's policies, particularly towards the Gulf countries, stating that the issue of peace and stability in the Middle East is directly related to the security and stability of the Maldives. The Maldives is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of about 341,000, the majority of whom are Sunni Muslims. The government has recently established friendly relations with Saudi Arabia, which opened its embassy in the Maldives last year and promised financial support and investment. In its statement, the Maldives Foreign Ministry referred to the Islamic Cooperation Organization summit held in Turkey in April of this year, which called on Iran to adopt a policy of non-interference and good neighborliness towards its neighboring countries. The Maldives has urged Iran to comply with the proposals from the Islamic Cooperation Organization summit. Since assuming the presidency in 2013, Yameen Abdul Gayoom has traveled to Saudi Arabia several times. Following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi consulate and embassy in Tehran were attacked. In response to this attack, Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran. Following Saudi Arabia's action, several Arab and regional countries, including Djibouti, Bahrain, and Sudan, also cut their ties with Iran.