Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has condemned the two attacks on Saudi Arabian diplomatic premises in Iran as “unacceptable.” During a visit to Riyadh, which saw Egypt and Saudi Arabia sign a fresh economic agreement, Shoukry denounced Iran’s “intervention” in Saudi Arabia’s internal affairs, adding that Egypt would continue to support the Kingdom. The Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in Mashhad had been stormed and set on fire by protesters after the execution of 47 people, including influential Shiite Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr. In statements shortly following the attacks, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry reiterated the importance of ensuring the safety of diplomatic and consular missions, as upheld in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. The Egyptian Foreign Minister’s comments come after a number of Gulf countries strongly condemned recent “Iranian intervention”. On January 3, Saudi Arabia announced the the severing of diplomatic ties with Iran. Bahrain and Sudan similarly expelled Iranian diplomats from the country and cut off diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates downgraded the status of all Iranian diplomats in the country. Earlier in the day, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab…
Egypt Condemns Attack on Saudi Arabian Embassy, Denounces ‘Iranian Intervention’
January 5, 2016
