RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has ordered an Iranian military attache, his assistant, and three embassy staff members to leave the kingdom within 24 hours after declaring them persona non grata, the foreign ministry announced on Saturday.
According to the statement, the move comes in response to what Riyadh described as continued attacks on its territory by Iran. Officials said hundreds of missiles and drones have been launched toward Saudi Arabia since the onset of the broader conflict involving the United States and Israel, although most were successfully intercepted.
The ministry warned that ongoing hostilities could further escalate tensions and have serious consequences for both current and future diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom reserves the right to respond militarily, adding that recent developments have severely undermined trust with Tehran.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran had only recently improved, with both sides restoring diplomatic ties in 2023 after years of rivalry marked by support for opposing groups across the region.
The wider conflict and Iran’s retaliatory actions have also begun to disrupt energy flows, impacting oil and gas exports from the Middle East and forcing some production shutdowns.
