Saudi Arabia announced
late on Sunday it was severing diplomatic relations with Iran after
demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran. It gave Iranian diplomats 48
hours to leave.
It also recalled its
diplomats from Tehran.
Iran's foreign ministry
on Monday accused the Saudis of "continuing the policy of increasing tension
and clashes in the region. Ministry spokesman
Hossein Jaber Ansari said: "Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but
also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to
resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside."
The U.N. envoy for
Syria is heading to Saudi Arabia and Iran to gauge the impact of the rupture in
relations between the two longtime regional rivals on efforts to end the Syrian
conflict.
U.N. deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq says Staffan de Mistura is en route to Riyadh on Monday and will
visit Tehran later this week.
Haq says de Mistura
“hopes that the adverse consequences of the tensions between Saudi Arabia and
Iran do not affect the peace process with the Syrians.”Iran, a staunch
supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Saudi Arabia, a key backer of
the opposition, have participated in three rounds of international talks aimed
at finding a political solution to the conflict. De Mistura has set a Jan. 25
target date for a fourth round of talks.