Tensions between the Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Muslim Iran have escalated since Saudi authorities executed Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr on January 2, triggering outrage among Shi’ites across the Middle East.
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In Saudi Arabia, Zhang met with senior Saudi officials and called for calm and restraint, said Hong.
“This 34-nation alliance that the Saudis established last month is set to be against Daesh and al-Qaeda; in reality this alliance is the Saudi vision of uniting the Sunni world against Iran and their Shiite militias”, Cafiero said.
“The Ministerial Council discussed the repercussions of the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in the Iranian city of Mashhad”.
“Iran, confident of its strength, has refused to retaliate or break – or even downgrade – diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia”, Zarif wrote.
Saudi Arabia responded by cutting off its diplomatic relations with Iran and many of its Arab allies followed suit.
On Sunday, Jaber Ansari said that Iran was seeking to sooth tensions in the region including its frictions with Saudi Arabia. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy multi faceted cooperation including in the fields of defense and counter terrorism.
“Iran should reject intervention and its support for terrorism in order to live as a neighbour and if it continues to support terrorism, it will face opposition from Arab countries”, Saudi’s Al- Jubeir told reporters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif yesterday accused Saudi Arabia of using the dispute to hurt efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict, in which Riyadh is supporting rebel forces against President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Tehran.
Pointing to another potential complication, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also stressed the need for the government to obtain a list of groups that would be classified as terrorists as part of the peace process.
Iranian officials have condemned the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. They could either march toward deeper sectarian division with further provocative acts, or make a compromise, ease the conflict and shoulder their responsibility in promoting regional stability. “Those countries who cooperate with Saudi Arabia will be humiliated, and human society has no respect for them”.
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Analysts have expressed worries that the latest tension risks imploding the volatile region and in the worst scenario, could evolve into a widespread sectarian war.
