Saudi Foreign Ministry Informs UNSC of Embassy Attacks in Iran

Saudi Arabia has briefed the UN Security Council and a range of regional organizations of overnight attacks on its diplomatic missions by protesters in two of Iran’s biggest cities, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said early Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A group of protesters stormed the Saudi embassy building in Tehran, setting it on fire before law enforcement arrested several of the demonstrators. Crowds in the second most populous city of Mashhad scaled the Saudi consulate fence and seized a Saudi flag late Saturday.

"The Kingdom has briefed the Security Council of the attacks, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," the ministry tweeted following Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir’s press conference.

Al-Jubeir announced that Saudi Arabia had cut off diplomatic ties with Iran following the attacks by Iranian demonstrators protesting the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric announced on Saturday.

Iranian diplomats were ordered to leave the country within 48 hours, while 47 of Saudi diplomatic mission staff have safely returned to their homeland with the help of the United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was among 47 people convicted of terrorism-related charges whose execution set off a diplomatic row and escalated sectarian tensions.

Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Naqli accused Tehran of failing to intervene in the overnight attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.