MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On December 4, Saudi Arabia formally severed diplomatic ties with Iran following Saturday attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the Consulate in the city of Mashhad. The attacks were triggered by the execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, along with 46 other people by Riyadh.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, confident of the strength of its cause, conviction and people, refused to retaliate or break or even reduce diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia," the letter read.
The crown prince, who also acts as Saudi Arabia's defense minister, rejected claims of the arbitrary nature of Nimr's execution, blaming the post-execution escalation on Iran, while expressing hope that the Islamic republic does not become Saudi Arabia's main enemy.
