Saudi Arabia takes action against Iran, declares embassy personnel ‘persona non grata’

Riyadh. On the 23rd day of the Israel-US-Iran war, Saudi Arabia has taken a major step against Tehran for the first time. Under this action, Saudi Arabia has declared several employees of the Iranian Embassy as ‘persona non grata’ and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours. This step by Saudi Arabia has been taken amid the continuous attacks by Tehran in the Gulf region.

According to the report, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday saying that Iran’s military attaché, his assistant and three other embassy staff members have been declared ‘persona non grata’. They must leave Riyadh within 24 hours. The ministry described Iran’s attacks in Saudi Arabia as a “clear violation” of international treaties, the principle of good neighbourliness and respect for state sovereignty. The Saudi Arabian statement said that Iran’s attacks are against the Beijing Agreement, UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and the values ​​of Islamic brotherhood.

After declaring Iranian embassy staff as “persona non grata,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry warned that these attacks by Iran would have a profound impact on bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia will no longer hesitate to take all necessary steps to defend its sovereignty, security, and territory. Saudi Arabia’s decision comes in response to Iran’s continued attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Earlier, on March 18-19, Qatar also declared the Iranian embassy’s military and security attaché and his staff as “persona non grata” after Iran launched its largest attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas facility, causing massive damage. Qatar described this as a “dangerous violation” of its sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia has become the second country, after Qatar, to take such action against Iran since the war began. Regional tensions escalated when Iran influenced the Strait of Hormuz and carried out drone and missile attacks on US military bases in Gulf countries. Recently, Iran also carried out a major drone attack on Yanbu port, a major oil export hub for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has taken this step after this. This incident is further complicating the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, where Iran is retaliating against the US-Israeli coalition. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have condemned Iran’s aggression and appealed for regional stability.