MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Egypt sides with Riyadh and describes Iran's behavior as 'unacceptable'

Shoukry reaffirmed Egypt's support for Saudi Arabia ahead of an upcoming meeting of Foreign Ministers at the Arab League that is due to discuss the Iran-Saudi spat.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has denounced the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran as “unacceptable.” Shoukry said during a visit to Riyadh on Tuesday that Iranian behavior following Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr’s execution was tantamount to “intervening in the kingdom’s internal affairs.”

 The Egyptian diplomat also reaffirmed his country’s support for Saudi Arabia ahead of an upcoming meeting of Foreign Ministers at the Arab League that is due to discuss the Iran-Saudi spat.

Saudi Arabia has supported Egypt as it struggles with a growing insurgency and economic downturn.

Several Saudi allies have rallied the kingdom’s side, with a number of nations following its lead in either cutting or reducing diplomatic ties with Iran. Egypt cut ties with Iran in 1989.

Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry has said that it summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires to reiterate its opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances after a mass execution in the kingdom.

The Swiss Ministry, in a statement dated on Monday, said that “these mass executions risk reviving the confessional tensions which have already caused far too many victims in this region of the world.”

It stressed the importance of doing everything to lower those tensions and “avoid provocations.”

The Swiss move comes after Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others. Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran late on Sunday, hours after protesters stormed and set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran in protest against the execution.