Iran has accused Saudi warplanes of deliberately bombing its embassy in Yemen, in a new escalation of diplomatic tensions that have reverberated across the Middle East.
Tehran said yesterday that an unspecified number of embassy staff have been wounded in the raid on the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa, which has been targeted by months of air strikes by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. Shiite-dominated Iran also announced a ban on imports of all products from its Sunni-ruled rival, following a dramatic chill in relations that has triggered international alarm.
It comes days after Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in response to an arson attack on its own embassy in Tehran by protesters infuriated by Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
Iran also announced that a ban on Iranians travelling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the umrah pilgrimage would remain in place indefinitely.
Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has rejected Iran’s accusation that its warplanes struck Tehran’s embassy in the capital, Sanaa. The coalition said no operations had been conducted near the embassy.