Close allies Bahrain and Sudan followed suit, while the United Arab Emirates downgraded relations and Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Tehran in a diplomatic crisis that could deepen sectarian tension in the war-torn Arab world.
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The United Nations Security Council has condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks against the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and another Saudi diplomatic mission in Iran after the execution of the cleric infuriated protesters there.
On Monday, some of Riyadh’s allies also joined diplomatic action against Iran.
Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant anti-Saudi government slogans and wave national flags as they hold posters of Sheik Nimr al-Nimr and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr during a demonstration in Baghdad Jan. 4.
In a rare statement on Mideast tensions, the foreign ministry of China, which depends heavily on oil imports from the Mideast, urged Saudi Arabia and Iran to negotiate “to properly resolve differences, and work together to safeguard the region’s peace and stability”. The council statement, agreed to after hours of negotiations, made no mention of the Saudi executions or the rupture in Saudi-Iranian relations.
Nimr, one of 47 men executed on Saturday, was a driving force behind 2011 anti-government protests in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia also cancelled all flights to and from Iran on Monday.
“Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strategic and fraternal, and we share a common destiny”. The potential for further violence was quickly evident in attacks on the Saudi Embassy and a consulate in Iran.
Jaberi Ansari, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said his country is committed to protecting diplomatic missions and reiterated that no Saudi diplomats were harmed – or even present – during the attack.
De Mistura, speaking after he met Jubeir and the Syrian opposition in Riyadh, said there was a clear determination on the Saudi side that current regional tensions would not have a negative impact on the momentum of the talks and on the continuation of the political process in Geneva.
There was no immediate reaction from Saudi Arabia to the Iraqi mediation offer.
Saudi Arabia can not respond to criticism of its regime by cutting off heads, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday following Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
“As a country which has friendly relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia, we believe that both countries should show restraint”.
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It also is part of a more aggressive stance by the kingdom in the past year, which included launching an air campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen and increased aid to rebels in Syria.
