Iranians protest in front of Saudi consulate in Tehran
Saudi officers have been accused of sexually harassing two Iranian teenage boys at Jeddah Airport.
By JPOST.COM STAFFIranian police stand guard in front of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Tehran (Illustrative)(photo credit: REUTERS)
Some 500 Iranians protested in front of the Saudi consulate in Tehran on Saturday amid tensions between the two countries over influence in Yemen and reports of abuse against two Iranian pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia, Iranian media reported.Saudi officers have been accused of sexually harassing two Iranian teenage boys at at the airport in Jeddah.The demonstrators chanted anti-regime slogans as they called for the embassy to be shut down and for justice for those alleging the abuse.They also urged Iranian pilgrims to stop visiting Saudi Arabia, which houses Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina.Protestors, who demanded an apology from the Saudi government, clashed with police forces after trying to climb the embassy walls during the demonstration, which lasted just under four hours.The Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Saudi Arabian charge d'affaires to Tehran over the incident, and has issued a formal complaint with the Saudi government.Officials in Sunni kingdom have launched an investigation into the police officers accused of indecent behavior towards the teens, aged 14 and 15, according to IRNA, Iran's official news agency.Tensions between the two regional powers have flared as Saudi Arabia continues to launch air strikes against the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen -- a military campaign Iran's leadership rejects.Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia blocked an Iranian flight carrying 260 pilgrims from Saudi airspace because it had not got prior clearance.