Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir announced the move at a news conference Sunday in capital Riyadh. He said all Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours. Saudi Arabia has withdrew all its diplomatic staff Sunday following the attacks on its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.

Following the execution of 47 prisoners on Saturday, including prominent Shia Muslim respected scholar Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, protestors stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The protestors set fire to the embassy building before being evicted by Iranian security forces. Iran has arrested dozens of protesters involved in the attacks.

Before his arrest in July of 2012, al-Nimr led mass protests against the Saudi authorities in the kingdom’s eastern Qatif province.

Predominantly-Shia Iran warned that Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia would pay “a heavy price” for al-Nimr’s death.

Iran summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Saturday and strongly condemned the execution.

The fierce regional rivals support opposing sides in ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen.