Iranians outraged by the Shiite cleric’s execution stormed Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran on Saturday, prompting Riyadh to sever diplomatic ties with Iran the next day.
Advertisement
In eastern Saudi Arabia, the home of al-Nimr and much of the kingdom’s roughly 10 to 15 per cent Shi’ite population, three days of mourning over his death ended Wednesday night.
Jordan, Djibouti, and Turkey also expressed pro-Saudi positions on Wednesday after the embassy attacks in Iran that followed the execution of a renowned Shia leader in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia.
Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said the claim would be investigated but that accusations based on the Houthis “have no credibility”, Reuters reported. “The Saudis are responsible for the damage they have caused to the embassy as well as to injuries to guards and personnel”.
The decision was taken during a meeting of Iran’s cabinet ministers headed by President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday, the report stated.
USA officials have said that the United States is trying to mend fences between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Several countries have rallied with Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the United Arab Emirates announced that it was reducing the number of Iranian diplomats in Abu Dhabi and downgrading the diplomatic ties with Tehran.
In this January 4 photo, an Iranian woman holds up a poster showing Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent opposition Saudi Shiite cleric who was executed by Saudi Arabia.
Advertisement
Also today, Iran banned all products from Saudi Arabia and said a ban on Iranians travelling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the umrah pilgrimage would remain in place “until further notice”.
