Riyadh: Iran responsible for coronavirus spread

Saudi Arabia said Iran was responsible for increasing the number of coronavirus cases and spreading the outbreak around the world.

An official source accused Iran of "irresponsible actions" for allowing Saudi citizens into the country without stamping their passports during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Five people in Saudi Arabia have had coronavirus diagnosed. Three of the cases had returned together from Iran via Bahrain, while the fourth returned via Kuwait and infected his wife.

"These actions are a proof of Iran’s direct responsibility in increasing COVID-19 infections and in the virus’s outbreak all around the world," an official Saudi source said. "This behavior poses a serious public health threat to the international community and undermines international efforts to combat COVID-19, putting many communities around the world at risk," Arab News cited him as saying.

The official called upon Iranian authorities to disclose the identities of Saudi nationals who had illegally visited Iran since the Feb. 1,

He added that the Iranian authorities would be held fully responsible for all Saudis who did not report their travels and had been infected during their stay in Iran.