Saudi Air Strike Hits Iran Yemen Embassy, Tehran Bans Saudi Products

Friday, 8 January 2016

Saudi Air Strike Hits Iran Yemen Embassy, Tehran Bans Saudi Products

Iran on Thursday banned all products from Saudi Arabia as it accused Riyadh of "deliberately" hitting Iran's embassy in Yemen in an air raid that wounded staff.

"The cabinet has banned the entry of all Saudi products and products from Saudi Arabia," the government said in a statement, noting that a ban on Iranians travelling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the Umrah pilgrimage was also in place "until further notice".

Meanwhile, foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari condemned the strike on the Iranian embassy in Yemen.

"This deliberate action by Saudi Arabia is a violation of all international conventions that protect diplomatic missions," Ansari was quoted as saying by state television.

"The Saudi government is responsible for the damage caused and for the situation of members of staff who were injured," Ansari added, without specifying when the alleged strike took place.

"The Islamic republic reserves the right to pursue its interests in this matter," he said.

The Saudi authorities announced on Saturday it had executed Sheikh Nimr. He was a vocal supporter of the mass pro-democracy protests against Riyadh, which erupted in Eastern Province in 2011, where a Shia majority has long complained of marginalization.

The move sparked Tehran’s anger as well as international concern over the human rights in the Gulf Kingdom.

Riyadh then cut its ties with Tehran. On Wednesday, Djibouti became the fourth country after Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Bahrain to cut ties with Iran. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) partially downgraded its relations with Iran, while Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan have recalled their envoys from Tehran.