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1st LD: UAE summons Iran ambassador over "row" in Saudi affairs

Xinhua, January 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday summoned Iran's Ambassador Mohammad Reza Fayyad to protest at Iran's "interference" in Saudi Arabia's affairs after the kingdom executed 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric, over terror charges, state news agency WAM reported.

On Saturday, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced that prominent Shiite leader Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other men were executed on terror charges.

Most of the executed were Saudis who were involved in a series of attacks carried out by al-Qaida from 2003-06. Nimr was a driving force behind anti-government protests that broke out in the country in 2011.

The executions triggered angry protests outside the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday by Iranians who condemned the execution of Nimr.

The attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions represented "a violation of international charters and norms," the UAE Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Iranian authorities said that 40 people had been arrested over raiding the Saudi missions.

On Saturday, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said his country fully supports Saudi Arabia in any deterrent measures it takes to counter extremism and terrorism. Endit