Saudi Arabia says it has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.<br />Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was speaking after demonstrators had stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.<br />Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terror-related offences.<br />Mr Jubeir said that all Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours.<br />Saudi Arabia was recalling its diplomats from Tehran, he said.<br />Mr Jubeir said Saudi Arabia would not let Iran undermine its security, accusing it of having "distributed weapons and planted terrorist cells in the region".<br />"Iran's history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues, and it is always accompanied by destruction," he told a news conference.<br />US state department spokesman John Kirby said: "We will continue to urge leaders across the region to take affirmative steps to calm tensions".<br />"We believe that diplomatic engagement and direct conversations remain essential," he said.<br />TAGS-
