Saudi Arabia ordered an Iranian diplomat and three members of his team to leave the country Saturday, as the Kingdom continues to absorb Iranian missile strikes launched in retaliation for the US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran.
Riyadh holds Tehran directly responsible for the attacks on Saudi soil © Mena Today
Saudi Arabia ordered an Iranian diplomat and three members of his team to leave the country Saturday, as the Kingdom continues to absorb Iranian missile strikes launched in retaliation for the US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran.
In an official statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced "Iran's repeated attacks" and announced it had "taken the decision to declare persona non grata the military attaché of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as three members of the embassy's military mission."
The four diplomats have been given 48 hours to leave Saudi territory.
The expulsion of Iran's military attaché is a significant diplomatic escalation, stopping just short of a full severance of relations, but sending an unambiguous message: Riyadh holds Tehran directly responsible for the attacks on Saudi soil and is no longer willing to maintain even the pretense of normal diplomatic engagement with the regime conducting them.
Saudi Arabia has already declared that it reserves the right to military action against Iran following the ballistic missile strikes on its territory, including the unprecedented aerial threat alerts sent to Riyadh residents and the interception of four ballistic missiles targeting the capital.
By Nabil Al Blooshi
Jordan's air defense systems intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles that entered the country's airspace early Friday, a military source at the General Command of the Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army said.
Iran said it launched fresh strikes on U.S. facilities in the Middle East on Friday, including the first direct attack in Syria, after a sixth straight night of U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities.
Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that all Saudi oil and other vital facilities would be targets for the group's missiles and drones if Riyadh escalated its involvement in the conflict.
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