Among them were four Shiites, including prominent cleric Nimr al-Nimr, whose death triggered a diplomatic crisis between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran.
Advertisement
Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz will give in-camera briefing to the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee on Iran-Saudi Arabia matters and role of Pakistan today (Tuesday).
But after the talks in Tehran, and with Saudi officials in the last week, de Mistura said both countries had vowed to continue to support peace efforts.
Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia then cut off diplomatic ties with Iran, leading many Gulf allies to either follow suit or downgrade their relations with the Islamic Republic.
Bin Zayed was speaking during a press conference held with his Saudi counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby following the conclusion of the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Pakistan had indicated it could consider the Saudi invitation to join the 34-nation coalition (proposed by Riyadh before the Iran spat).
Iran has denounced the attacks on diplomatic missions, vowing that the perpetrators will be punished.
Smoke rises as Iranian protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.
“We have previously stated our support for the Syrian opposition and for efforts to find a peaceful solution in Syria”, Jubeir said.
“We regret this has happened, especially given that the cleric had not been fighting against Saudi Arabia with lethal force”, he said.
Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia soured dramatically following the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken critic of the Saudi monarchy, along with 46 other people convicted of terrorism on January 2. At home, state executioners sever heads with swords, as in the recent execution of 47 prisoners in one day, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a respected religious scholar who devoted his life to promoting nonviolence and civil rights.
Saudi Arabia had adopted the policy of confronting the regional realities and they seek escalation of tensions and hostility with Iran, Jaber Ansari said.
Advertisement
In a closing statement distributed after the meeting, the Arab League also referred to the reported discovery by Bahrain of a militant group that it said was backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
