Saudi Arabia has ordered five Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours, declaring them persona non grata amid rising tensions between the two nations.
According to a statement released Saturday by the Saudi foreign ministry, the expelled officials include Iran’s military attaché, an assistant military attaché, and three other embassy staff.
The ministry said the decision follows ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory and warned that such actions could severely strain bilateral relations.
“These attacks represent a blatant violation of international conventions, the principles of good neighbourliness, and respect for state sovereignty,” the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia added that the strikes also breach the Beijing Agreement, UN Security Council Resolution 2817, and the values of Islamic brotherhood cited by Iran, emphasizing that Tehran’s words are not reflected by its actions.
The kingdom cautioned that the situation could have serious repercussions for current and future relations with Iran.
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated missile and drone strikes since the wider US-Israel-Iran conflict escalated earlier this year. This action makes the kingdom the second Gulf state to expel Iranian diplomats in recent days, following Qatar’s similar move last week. The ongoing conflict has disrupted regional oil and gas exports and heightened security concerns in Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
