Official: Saudi Arabia can’t cover up mistake by cutting ties with Iran

Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Saudi Arabia should not try to cover up its big misdeed by cutting ties with Tehran.

He said the decision by Saudi officials to cut relations with Iran will not cover up the grave mistake they did in executing the outstanding religious scholar.

The Foreign Ministry official made the remarks following an announcement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry that Riyadh has cut off its diplomatic relations with Iran.

He said that Saudi Arabia has records of creating insecurity in the region by making strategic mistakes and adopting hasty and unwise policies which have led to the spread of terrorism and extremism.

It also inflicted economic damage on Muslim nations of the region by hatching a plot aimed at reducing oil prices.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia also played a non-constructive and disparaging role during Iran’s nuclear talks with P5+1.

He said the latest mistake of the Saudi government was the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was a prestigious religious scholar esteemed by the whole Islamic world.

Stressing that none of Saudi diplomats in Iran suffered any injury or damage, Abdollahian noted that Iran enjoys one of the world’s highest security status.

He said [foreign] diplomats in Iran are carrying out their duties in absolute safety.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced on Sunday that Riyadh severed its diplomatic relations with Tehran one day after the government and people of Iran protested the execution of the prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

He told reporters in Saudi capital that Iranian diplomats were asked to leave the country within 48 hours.