TEHRAN, Iran: The Saudi jets on Thursday struck the Iranian embassy in Yemen’s capital Sanaa that also caused injuries to diplomatic staff, in another incident that is likely to further worsen the already tense ties between the two countries.
“Saudi Arabia is responsible for the damage to the embassy building and the injury to some of its staff,” the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said in response to Saudi air strikes in Sanaa.
The spokesman said that the Saudi attack on Tehran’s embassy is a “violation of all conventions and international regulations” in protecting diplomatic missions under all circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Saudi military said that it will launch an investigation into the issue.
Since March last year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is leading a regional coalition in air strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran became tense after Nimr al-Nimr was executed in the Kingdom on January 2, triggering a strong protest in the Islamic Republic against the Saudis over execution of prominent Shia Muslim cleric.
In the meantime, the Saudi embassy in Tehran was set ablaze by angry protesters which caused the ending of diplomatic relations by Saudi Arabia with Iran.
Moreover, Iran on Thursday also banned all products from Saudi Arabia and said a ban on Iranians travelling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the Umrah pilgrimage would remain in place until further notice.
“The cabinet has banned the entry of all Saudi products and products from Saudi Arabia,” a government statement said.
