Tension has long existed between Saudi Arabia and Iran; however, it reached new peaks when Saudi Arabia executed 47 persons, including prominent Shi’a cleric Nimr Al-Nimr, prompting criticism and anger from several factions including the Shi’a community in Iran and the Arab world.
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Arabi was addressing Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Cairo for an emergency session called to discuss attacks on Saudi missions in Iran and its interference in the internal affairs of regional countries.
The tension between Iran and Saud Arabia rose this month when Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after protesters torched two of its diplomatic buildings in Tehran and Mashhad.
Bahrain, Djibouti and Somalia have followed Saudi Arabia in severing diplomatic ties with Iran, emulating the Saudi example, and Bahrain halted all air links to and from Iran.
Even as many Arab countries recalled envoys to Iran and the United Arab Emirates downgraded relations in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, China sent vice foreign minister Zhang Ming to Saudi Arabia and Iran for an exchange of views, said Chinese foreign ministry last week. “Moreover, for days, Saudi authorities refused to respond to requests from grieving families [of the stampede] and the Iranian government to access and repatriate the bodies”.
Aziz will give an in-camera briefing in which he is expected to explain Pakistan’s stance on Saudi-Iran tensions and its role in resolving the crisis.
However, they were not prepared for such a game with Iran, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia should not be permitted to impose the costs of its destructive policies on the region.
Shia activists in eastern Saudi Arabia condemned the recent attack, saying such moves could embolden the Saudi regime to step up its crackdown on ongoing peaceful protests taking place in Qatif and other towns since Nimr’s execution.
In Saudi Arabia, he expressed his hope for calm and restraint from all relevant parties, a resolution of differences through dialogue, and joint efforts to push the situation towards detente, the statement said.
If Iran continues to support “terrorism, sectarianism and violence”, it would face opposition from all Arab countries, Jubeir told a news conference following the meeting. “In Iran I got the same assurance”, he said.
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He welcomed the Saudi initiative to establish a coalition of like-minded Islamic countries to counter terrorism and militancy and informed the Deputy Crown Prince that Pakistan supports efforts to counter terrorism and extremism.
