"The Government of Maldives has today decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran. The Maldives believes that the policies that Iranian Government pursues in the Middle East, and in particular, in the Arabian Gulf region, is detrimental to peace and security in the region, which, in many ways, is also linked to stability, peace and security of the Maldives," the ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
The ministry cited last month’s Islamic Summit in Turkey, which called on Tehran to pursue relations of good neighborliness and non-interference with other nations.
"The Maldives calls on Iran to show more commitment and tangible results in implementing the recommendations of the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation]," the ministry said.
The move comes after many Muslim-majority countries also severed their ties with Tehran.
Iran and Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties earlier this year after an outraged Iranian mob attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran following Riyadh’s decision to execute a prominent Shiite cleric. Bahrain, Sudan, Somalia, Comoros and Djibouti in solidarity with Riyadh also severed relations with Iran. Kuwait and Qatar decided to pull out their ambassadors to Iran, while the United Arab Emirates downgraded the level of diplomatic relations with Tehran.