UN Security Council calls on Iran and Saudi Arabia to maintain dialogue

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s embassy and its Consulate General in Iran and called on the two countries to maintain a dialogue in order to overcome the crisis in relations which broke out after the execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

The statement notes that these attacks "resulted in intrusions into the diplomatic and consular premises, causing serious damage."

Expressing deep concern over the attacks, the council called on the Iranian authorities "to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel and to respect fully their international obligations in this regard," RIA Novosti cited the statement as saying.

The Security Council also called on Tehran and Riyadh to "maintain dialogue and take steps to reduce tensions in the region."

The Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, in his turn, spoke about his country's readiness to restore broken diplomatic relations "if Iran desists from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, including our own."

With regard to the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, which provoked this crisis, the diplomat assured that he and 46 other people "were granted fair and just trials without any consideration to their intellectual, racial or sectarian affiliations."

In this regard, al-Mouallimi expressed "deep concern" that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was disturbed over the nature of the charges and the fairness of the process.

He also assured that the crisis will not affect the Kingdom's efforts to secure peace in Syria and Yemen. "From our side it will have no effect, because we will continue to work very hard to support the peace efforts in Syria, in Yemen," the permanent representative said, while accusing Iran that it has not been very supportive in the peace efforts for these countries.