Iran summons Saudi envoy over attack on embassy in Yemen

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Saudi Arabia’s chargé d'affaires in Tehran to protest against a rocket attack near the Iranian embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said Monday that Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Saudi diplomat, currently Riyadh’s most senior diplomat in Tehran, to protest at the landing of a Saudi-fired rocket near the Iranian embassy in Sana’a.

The Iranian diplomat said a “rocket or a missile” was dropped earlier in the day in the vicinity of the embassy compound in southwest Sana’a, which shattered the windows of the building. The Iranian ambassador and the diplomatic staff did not sustain any injuries, according to reports.

“By submitting a note of protest, we officially reminded the Saudi authorities to perform their duties regarding the protection of the diplomats and diplomatic areas,” said Amir-Abdollahian.

He added that Iran recognizes Saudi Arabia as the “aggressor state” in Yemen and Riyadh will be held directly responsible for any incident that “may hamper Iranian embassy’s diplomatic efforts” in the country.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham condemned the attack on the Iranian Embassy, saying that Tehran deems attacks and threats on security of diplomatic places and diplomats as a “flagrant violation of international conventions.”

Saudi Arabia’s aggression on Yemen, which have claimed the lives of at least 2,680 people, was initiated on March 26 with the goal of undermining the Ansarullah Houthi movement, which currently controls the capital Sana’a and most of other provinces.

Houthi fighters continue making advances south of the country while they have made gains in fighting terrorist groups like al-Qaeda. The fighters said after reaching Sana’a last September that the government of fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh, was incapable of properly running the affairs of the country and containing the growing wave of corruption and terror.