Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic relations with Iran

Saudi Arabia has cut diplomatic relations with Iran in a sharp escalation of tensions between the two regional foes following the execution of the Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, made the announcement on Sunday while the foreign ministry said it was asking Iranian diplomatic mission to leave the kingdom within 48 hours.

Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran early on Sunday and Shi’ite Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, predicted “divine vengeance” for the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken opponent of the ruling Al Saudi family.

Jubeir said the attack in Tehran was in line with what he said were earlier Iranian assaults on foreign embassies there and with Iranian policies of destabilizing the region by creating “terrorist cells” in Saudi Arabia.

“The kingdom, in light of these realities, announces the cutting of diplomatic relations with Iran and requests the departure of delegates of diplomatic missions of the embassy and consulate and offices related to it within 48 hours. The ambassador has been summoned to notify them,” the foreign minister said.

The Saudi diplomats, who were evacuated from Tehran following Saturday night’s attack, have arrived in Dubai en route to Saudi Arabia, Al Arabiya reported.

The move comes after angry Iranian protesters stormed and set ablaze the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday night during a rally in condemnation of Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Iran Deputy Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian suggested the Saudi government was using the severing of diplomatic ties as a way to distract from al-Nimir’s death, FARS news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia has ordered its personnel back from Iran and asked the Iranian diplomatic mission and other entities to depart the Kingdom within 48 hours, Reuters reported.

The cleric’s execution could also complicate Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the Shiite-led government in Iraq. The Saudi Embassy in Baghdad reopened for the first time in nearly 25 years on Friday. On Saturday there were public calls for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to shut the embassy down again.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran are already locked in a bitter rivalry, and support opposite sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen. Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting “terrorism” in part because it backs Syrian rebel groups, while Riyadh points to Iran’s support for the Lebanese Hezbollah and other Shiite militant groups in the region.