Shiites across the greater Mideast have rallied throughout the week over al-Nimr’s execution.
Advertisement
However, those living in the area remain on edge as recent nights have been broken up by gunfire.
Pakistan wants to deepen trade links with both Iran and Saudi Arabia and improve access to their vast energy resources to fuel its power-hungry economy. He affirmed that the people of Pakistan will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Saudi Arabia against any threat to territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom.
That report called “Iranian hostile and provocative statement on the judicial rulings implements (in Saudi Arabia) against a number of terrorists” as “direct incitements for launching attacks on the diplomatic missions”. “For sure we will not allow any such thing”.
Iran hit back Thursday by announcing a ban on imports from the kingdom, which will reportedly affect goods worth about $40 million (36.7 million euros).
The current row between Saudi Arabia and Iran is their worst since 1988 following deadly clashes between Saudi security forces and Iranian pilgrims, prompting a three-year severance of ties between Riyadh and Tehran. In response, the Saudi Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador and handed him a protest note.
A protest by hundreds of Bahrain’s majority Shiites marching to denounce Saudi Arabia for its execution last week of a leading Shiite cleric has descended into violence.
The 34-nation alliance does not include countries such as Iran, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Those attacks came after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent opposition Shiite cleric over the weekend.
Saudi Arabia says last week’s executions were a domestic matter, and that Iran is the country pursuing sectarian division by casting itself as the champion of Arab Shi’ites.
Saudi Arabia today said it was considering new steps against Iran amid a sharp dispute between the two regional rivals.
The Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen since March denied the claims, saying that Tehran’s embassy in the rebel-controlled capital was “safe and has not been damaged”.
On Thursday, Iran claimed that a Saudi-led airstrike the previous night had hit the Iranian Embassy in Sanaa, citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry. Iran has offered support to the Houthis, but denies actively supporting their war effort.
The official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Pakistan would not become part of the coalition if it was against any country.
Advertisement
The Gulf ministers who met Saturday in Riyadh, though, together insisted that Iran is in the wrong – not just because of the embassy attacks specifically, but due to its actions and comments criticizing the Saudi executions.
