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'War of the Embassies': Saudi Arabia Escalates Iran Feud

© AFP 2023 / KHALED DESOUKI A general view shows Arab foreign ministers during an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital Cairo on January 10, 2016
A general view shows Arab foreign ministers during an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital Cairo on January 10, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Saudi Arabia's attacks on Iran may jeopardize the Syrian peace talks, as the Saudis are mounting a destructive "war of the embassies," according to Iranian officials.

Saudi Arabia is mounting tensions with Iran in order to hurt progress on Syrian peace talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said on Sunday in an official statement.

Saudi Arabia called together a meeting of the Arab League on Sunday, in order to condemn Iran for what it calls interference in the region. The new conflict with Saudi Arabia has been called a 'war of the embassies' by Iranian officials, referencing the 1980s Iran-Iraq War's mutual missile attacks, dubbed the "War of the Cities."

"Saudi Arabia's approach is to create tension intended to negatively affect the Syrian crisis," Zarif said in a Foreign Ministry statement cited by Reuters.

Flames rise from Saudi Arabia's embassy during a demonstration in Tehran January 2, 2016 - Sputnik International
Tehran Condemns Attack on Saudi Embassy, Dismisses Responsible Official
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran chilled after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite preacher on January 2. Following violent protests in Iran, which led to the breaching of a Saudi embassy, Saudi Arabia ended diplomatic relations with Iran and used its regional influence to make other states follow suit, including Bahrain and Sudan.

"These attacks clearly reflect the approach that the Iranian policy is taking in our Arab region specifically <…> with its interference in the affairs of the (region's) states and instigation of sectarian strife and shaking its security and stability," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in a comment carried by Reuters.

Saudi Arabia's "war of the embassies" will not benefit the country, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari, who told Iranian television that Iran seeks to reduce tensions. Jaber-Ansari added that Saudi Arabia must not be allowed to impose the costs of its policies on countries across the Middle Eastern region.

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