Off the wire
• China vows to boost rural industries  • Roundup: Singapore stocks end down 1.62 pct  • WTA Shenzhen Open results  • Xinhua Insight: Over three years on, Xi's governance brings changes to China  • Vietnamese women footballers strive for Olympic berth  • Former NBA star Marbury suspended one game for controversial talk over refereeing  • At least 6 killed in S. Somalia fighting: military  • Trade recovers after port reopened between Tibet and Nepal  • Philippines to cooperate with Iraq in fight against human trafficking  • Urgent: UAE downgrades diplomatic ties with Iran  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD: UAE downgrades diplomatic ties with Iran

Xinhua, January 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday decided to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Iran and reduce the number of Iranian diplomats in the country, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it has recalled its ambassador to Iran Saif Al Zaabi in support for Saudi Arabia in its row with Tehran over the execution of a Shiite cleric.

This step was taken "in the light of continued Iranian intervention in the internal affairs of the Gulf and the Arab world" that has recently reached unprecedented levels, the statement said.

It said that the natural and positive relations among nations should be based on mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.

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

Earlier in the day, Bahrain, a key Saudi ally, said it followed Riyadh to cut its diplomatic ties with Iran and gave all Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.

On Sunday, the UAE summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Fayyad to protest at Iran's "interference" in Saudi Arabia's affairs and the attacks on the headquarters of the Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Endit