Cutting off Iran ties not constructive step: Russia

Russian Foreign Ministry says cutting off diplomatic relations is not a “very constructive step” after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Sudan severed their ties with the Islamic Republic.

"Severing diplomatic relations is not a very constructive step… It is not contributing to mutual understanding,” a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax on Monday.

“Rather, it is necessary to maintain contacts, enter dialogue and discuss disagreements in order to find a solution," he added.

He said Russia believes that Riyadh and Manama decision to cut off relations with Tehran will not help improve mutual understanding.

The Bahraini government said on Monday that it is cutting diplomatic ties with Iran following a similar move by its ally Saudi Arabia.

"Bahrain decided to break off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and calls upon all members of the mission to leave the kingdom within 48 hours," Bahrain News Agency said.

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's charge d'affaires Morteza Senobari and handed him an official note in this regard, said the BNA statement.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced the kingdom's severing of diplomatic relations with Iran following Tehran's strong condemnation of the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

The move followed demonstrations held in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the Arab country’s consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters censuring the Al Saud family for the killing of the top cleric as part of a crackdown on Shias mostly residing in the kingdom's Eastern Province.

Some people mounted the walls of the consulate in Mashhad while incendiary devices were hurled at the embassy in Tehran. Some 50 people were detained over the transgression.  

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Monday that the Saudi bid to sever ties with the Islamic Republic shows Riyadh's belief that the kingdom’s survival hinges on mounting tensions.

“It seems that Saudi Arabia considers not only its interest, [but also] its survival in the continuation of tensions and conflicts and is trying to settle its domestic problems through blame games,” Jaberi Ansari said. The Iranian spokesperson added that Saudi Arabia's severance of ties with the Islamic Republic is part of Riyadh's efforts to divert attention from its domestic problems.

UAE downgrades ties with Iran

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said on Monday it has recalled its ambassador from Iran and downgraded diplomatic relations with Tehran.

The UAE had decided to lower "diplomatic representation to the level of charge d'affaires and reduce the number of Iranian diplomats in the country," WAM news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

It claimed that the decision has been made over Iran’s alleged "interference" in the internal affairs of the Persian Gulf and Arab states.

Sudan cutting relations with Iran

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry also said on Monday that it is severing diplomatic relations with Iran amid tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the execution of Sheikh Nimr.

"The Sudanese government announces the cutting of diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately," the ministry said in a statement.

Nimr’s execution has drawn strong public and political reactions around the world. The monarchy has, however, rejected all criticisms, accusing critics of meddling in its internal affairs.

Sheikh Nimr, a critic of the Riyadh regime, was shot by Saudi police and arrested in 2012 in Qatif, which was the scene of peaceful anti-regime demonstrations at the time.

He was charged with instigating unrest and undermining the kingdom’s security. He had rejected the charges as baseless

In 2014, a Saudi court sentenced Nimr to death, provoking widespread global condemnations. The sentence was upheld last March by the appeal court of Saudi Arabia.  

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