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Tehran Violates International Obligations… Awards Saudi Embassy Aggressors | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, March 2, 2015. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse


London-One week after the trial of the first batch of Saudi Arabia Embassy aggressors in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad, Judiciary Spokesman Mohseni Ejei said that the reason behind reducing penalties on the aggressors is the Saudi policy against Iranian interference in Arab affairs.

During his weekly conference, Ejei described Saudi Arabia as an “enemy”, a stance that has been reiterated by several prominent Iranian regime officials.

In January 2015, officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) statements urged Basij and its supporters to storm Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.

Tehran’s first comment on the attack was a vow to prosecute the aggressors, yet Ejei declared that the reduction of penalties is one of the steps to be taken that fall under Iran’s enmity with Riyadh, as he claimed.

Ejei tried to justify the attack, though Tehran condemned it following a wide international denouncement; even some Arab countries cut ties with Tehran. Furthermore, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani considered the attack a threat on the national security. Iranian President also admitted earlier that the involved belong to known parties in the country and called on the justice to take essential procedures against them. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denounced the attack as well since it damaged Iran’s reputation, yet he refused to call the aggressors extremists. Following the assaults in Tehran and Mashhad, 121 persons were arrested and Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Tehran through dismissing the Iranian diplomatic delegation. On 19 July, 24 accused were referred to the Special Clerical Court.