For an organization deeply involved in wars in Syria and Iraq this looks no idle threat, at least in the eyes of Sunni Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia who say Shi’ite rival Tehran is bent on undermining their security.
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Associated Press journalists in Yemen could not immediately reach the embassy in the war-torn capital on Thursday after the IRNA report.
Somalia joins Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Bahrain in cutting ties to Iran.
“There are rising stockpiles and the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia make any deal on production unlikely”, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.
Nimr’s death sparked demonstrations in many countries including Iran, where protesters stormed and set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran as well as the kingdom’s consulate in second city Mashhad. The Somali Foreign Ministry said it recalled its acting ambassador to Tehran and ordered Iranian diplomats to leave Somalia within 72 hours over “Iran’s continuous interference in Somalia’s internal affairs”.
The militiamen were also in their best uniform, carrying flags and banners bearing the portrait of executed cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
The group scolded Swedish home goods retailer Ikea for selling a Persian carpet with a “made in Iran” label at its stores in Saudi Arabia, and applauded a local Riyadh-based carpet shop chain for deciding to end sales of Iranian rugs. That watchdog and others have alleged that Saudi officials discriminate against the Shiites by rarely allowing them to build mosques and limiting their access to public education, government employment and the justice system.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was quick to condemn the execution of Saudi cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, stating: “Without a doubt, the hated Saudi regime will pay a price for this shameful act”. They are targeted by an ongoing Saudi-led military campaign on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The Saudis accuse Iran of supporting the Houthis in Yemen militarily – a charge it denies.
Foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters on Monday the kingdom was halting air traffic and trade links with the Islamic republic, although none of the few Saudi companies with interests in Iran has yet announced changes to their operations.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (right) meets with Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in Tehran on January 5, 2016. Iran’s annual imports from Saudi Arabia total about $60 million a year and consisted mostly of packing materials and textiles.
