Maldives Severs Diplomatic Relations with Iran
The government of Maldives announced on Tuesday in a statement that it has decided to sever 40 years of diplomatic relations with Iran due to the country’s policies in the Middle East.
The Foreign Ministry of the small island nation of Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, stated in its announcement that Iran’s policies in the Middle East are harmful to peace and security in the region.
Maldives has a population of 341,000, the majority of which are Sunni Muslims.
According to the Associated Press, this decision reflects Maldives’ increasingly closer ties with Saudi Arabia, Iran’s long-standing rival.
Saudi Arabia opened an embassy in Maldives last year and, while providing financial assistance, began negotiations for investment in the island nation.
In the statement by Maldives’ Foreign Ministry, it was stated: “Maldives calls upon Iran to demonstrate greater commitment and tangible results in the implementation of the recommendations of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.”
The final statement of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s summit last month strongly criticized Iran.
In that statement, “Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region and member states of the organization such as Bahrain, Yemen, Syria and Somalia, and the continuation of Iran’s support for terrorism” were condemned.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran following protests in Iran over the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and the storming of Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.
