Iraq has been torn apart by years of sectarian bloodshed and political feuds that have left deep gaps between the Shiite-led government and Iraq’s minority Sunnis, who once were favored under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Al-Ashtar Brigade, as well as Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, are on Bahrain’s list of “terrorist groups”. “They want the oil, they want the money, [and] they want a lot of other things”.
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Bahrain frequently accuses Tehran of backing the unrest.
Kuwait followed the lead of other Saudi allies by cutting ties with the Iranian regime, recalling its ambassador, even though Iranian military authorities distanced themselves from an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Iran. Posts on social media listed a number of events, including the death of more than 200 Iranians in a stampede during the Hajj last September, asking why hardliners didn’t attack Saudi diplomatic premises then. But the attack, which came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, could portend more sophisticated cyber warfare between the two countries.
Jordan summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest the attacks on Saudi missions. It condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks which saw protesters firebomb the Saudi embassy in Teheran and its consulate in Masshad.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations had turned down an apology from Tehran, presented to the UNSC on the matter.
The escalation of tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran against the backdrop of the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia cleric could negatively rebound on the efforts for establishing a peace process in Syria, analysts here said.
Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Iran on Sunday in response to the storming of its embassy in Tehran in an escalating row over Riyadh’s execution of Shiite Muslim cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken opponent of the ruling Al Saudi family. Saudi Arabia was “moving against Iran’s efforts” by opposing Tehran’s nuclear deal signed with western countries and “taking measures against the Iranian people” by keeping oil prices low, he said.
The President then called on Saudi Arabia to compensate for its past mistakes and return from its wrong and futile path, adding “stability, security, serious fight against terrorism and maintaining friendly ties with all regional countries are the main objectives of the Islamic Republic”. Zarif reiterated that the embassy’s ransacking had no official blessing. However, Kuwait did not say it would sever its ties to Iran over the tensions.
Russian Federation has offered its mediation to help resolve the conflict.
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Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister (pictured above, right), criticized Saudi Arabia for its confrontational attitude and blamed it for exacerbating tensions. Shiite-majority Iraq has close ties with Tehran.
