Maldives cuts diplomatic ties with Iran
The Maldives government announced in a statement on Tuesday 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 archipelago of Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, wrote in a statement that Iran's policies in the Middle East are detrimental to regional peace and security.
The Maldives has a population of 341,000, the majority of whom are Sunni Muslims.
According to the Associated Press, the decision reflects the Maldives' growing closer ties to Saudi Arabia, Iran's longtime rival.
Saudi Arabia opened an embassy in the Maldives last year and, while providing financial assistance, began negotiations for investment in the archipelago.
The Maldives Foreign Ministry statement said: “The Maldives calls on Iran to demonstrate greater commitment and tangible results in implementing the recommendations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.”
The final statement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit last month was highly critical of Iran.
The statement condemned, among other things, “Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of regional countries and member states of the organization, such as Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia, and [Iran’s] continued support for terrorism.”
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran following protests in Iran over the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and raids on Saudi diplomatic facilities in Tehran and Mashhad.
