Saudi Arabia Claims Iran Stalling Probe Into Attacks On Diplomatic Missions

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Iranian authorities are stalling on an investigation into the violent mob attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in 2016, an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

The source told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that “Iran authorities have also resorted to blackmail to gain diplomatic privileges inside the Kingdom even though the ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been severed.

“They have resorted to fraudulent tactics. Iran, despite an initial approval, has denied a Saudi team entry into Iran as part of the Iranian team investigating the attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. The Saudi team was delegated to work alongside the Iranian authorities to inspect the two Saudi facilities and finalize the processes relating to them,” he said.

In an apparently coordinated effort, Iranian mobs stormed both the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in the city of Mashhad on January 2, 2016. They ransacked offices and set the embassy and consulate buildings on fire, and desecrated the Saudi flags.

The attacks came two days after the execution in Saudi Arabia of a Shiite leader, who had been convicted of the crime of terrorism.

Saudi Arabia severed its ties with Iran as a result of the attacks.

Riyadh has sought an investigation into the crime, which had been condemned by the international community.

One and a half years on, the investigation has not prospered, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry source.

“Such acts of procrastination reflect Iran’s behavior and policy, its disrespect of international laws and conventions, and violation of the inviolability of the diplomatic mission premises, tactics Iran had used for more than 38 years,” the official said.

Iran has also been fomenting chaos in the Mideastern region, sending troops to support Syrian strongman, interfering in Iraq’s affairs, arming Houthi militias in Yemen, and trying to incite sedition in others parts of the Gulf region.

Arab News

Arab News is Saudi Arabia's first English-language newspaper. It was founded in 1975 by Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. Today, it is one of 29 publications produced by Saudi Research & Publishing Company (SRPC), a subsidiary of Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG).

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