Saudi Arabia Cuts Ties with Iran

Adel al-Jubeir, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, announced on Sunday evening the country's decision to sever all relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and requested Iranian diplomats to leave Saudi territory within 48 hours. The Saudi Foreign Minister also stated that all of his country's diplomats have left Iran and are currently in Dubai en route to Riyadh. This announcement comes less than a day after protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran. In Iran, government officials, led by President Hassan Rouhani, condemned the attack on the Saudi embassy. Judicial authorities also reported on Sunday the arrest of 40 individuals involved in the embassy attack. Iran and Saudi Arabia have had tense relations over regional issues, particularly regarding Syria and Yemen, and this tension escalated following the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, and the subsequent attack by protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The decision by Saudi Arabia to cut ties with Iran was announced shortly after Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, reported a phone call with the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, warning them about the potential for increased tensions in the region. Although reports on Saturday indicated the EU's criticism of mass executions in Saudi Arabia and concerns from Europe and the U.S. regarding the repercussions of Sheikh Nimr's execution, the Saturday night attack on the Saudi embassy shifted the criticism back towards Iran. On Sunday, the United States strongly condemned the attack on diplomatic premises and called for Iran to protect the Saudi embassy. In another development related to the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador in Abu Dhabi and protested against 'Iran's interference in Saudi sovereignty and the violation of diplomatic premises in Tehran and Mashhad.' On the same day, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attack on diplomatic premises, calling it a 'brutal' act. The attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran was also condemned 'in the strongest possible terms' in a statement from the Secretary-General of the Arab League. In the years following the victory of the 1979 revolution, protesters have attacked the embassies of other countries twice, both times leading to a severance of relations. In November 1979, students following Imam Khomeini occupied the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took its staff hostage, resulting in the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran. Since then, Iran and the U.S. have not had diplomatic relations. In 2011, a group of Basij students attacked the British embassy in Tehran, which also led to the severance of relations between Iran and Britain. The British embassy in Tehran has recently reopened. In this context, Mogherini expressed concerns about rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Will the occupation and destruction of embassies in Iran come to an end? The execution of Sheikh Nimr: a declaration of war for the clerical establishment. Hassan Rouhani: the attack by extremists on the Saudi embassy is an insult to the regime. The attack by 'self-styled' individuals on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The execution of Sheikh Nimr; a warning from the IRGC, a note of protest from Saudi Arabia. Changing the game for 'proxy wars'; a war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalization in Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. Trump: I hope there is no need for further action regarding Iran; they were killing people without restraint. The shadow of war over Tehran; 'Trump is looking for decisive military options against Iran.' Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, 'it will be wiped off the face of the earth.' A senior U.S. official: the Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh. Trump emphasizes 'ending executions in Iran': we do not know what will happen in the future.