Colombia said Thursday that it formally severed diplomatic relations with Iran.

Axar.az informs in a statement, the Colombian Foreign Ministry said the decision took effect on Sept. 19.

According to the ministry, this sovereign decision is based on the principles guiding the government’s foreign policy in the areas of national and hemispheric security and the fight against transnational crime, taking into account Iran’s alleged ties to international terrorist groups and other narcoterrorist organizations that threaten Colombia’s security.

"Colombia also took into account documented human rights violations committed by the Iranian government within its territory, verified attacks against countries not involved in the conflict in the Middle East, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the obstruction by Iranian authorities of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to verify the scope of Iran’s nuclear program.

These developments have undermined Colombia’s trust in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement reads.

"The measure, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, clarifies that the decision does not entail the severance of consular relations, in accordance with Article 45 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Article 2(3) of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," the statement added.