With negotiations between the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and his opponents scheduled to begin in Geneva on January 25, the deteriorating relations between regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran have added to uncertainty for the fragile peace process. Two Sunni Masjids in Iraq’s Shiite majority Hilla province were bombed in the fallout from the dispute between the Middle East’s top Sunni and Shiite powers.
Advertisement
He said the Saudis also engaged in economic warfare by trying to strangle Iran’s economy with drastic reductions in the price of oil, the country’s main export. Others shouted “death to America” and “death to Israel”, frequent rallying cries at demonstrations in Iran.
Hundreds of people joined a Shiite-led protest in Islamabad on Friday against Pakistan’s decision to join Saudi Arabia’s 34-country coalition against extremism, as Riyadh’s foreign minister ended a two-day visit to the country.
Local witnesses in Sanaa said Thursday that the Iranian embassy appeared in good condition and had no signs of air bombing.
However, yesterday (7 January) both countries took more steps to sever commercial ties, with Tehran announcing a ban on Saudi imports and Saudi groups calling for boycotts of Iranian products.
Mass protests took place in Iran following the said execution.
President Hassan Rouhani called the angry reaction to Nimr’s killing “only natural” and slammed Saudi Arabia for severing ties in response. Al-Nimr had demanded more rights for Shiites, who are a minority in Saudi Arabia, where most citizens are Sunni Muslims.
Pictures from the city of Qatif showed what appeared to be hundreds of demonstrators, many clad in black.
The execution of the Sheikh has raised fears that his nephew Ali al-Nimr, who was 17 when he was arrested, could also have the death sentence imposed on him carried out. The United Arab Emirates also scaled down its diplomatic representation in Iran and Kuwait recalled their ambassadors to Tehran.
The latest crisis threatens a fragile UN-backed initiative to end the war in Yemen, where the world body says at least 2,795 civilians have been killed since March. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have cultivated a close alliance for decades, and Sharif spent time in political exile in Saudi Arabia in the 2000s, after he was ousted in a military coup.
Advertisement
Zarif said Iran had “no desire” to escalate tensions further, but offered no compromise as he placed the blame for the crisis, and the wider turmoil across the region, squarely on Saudi shoulders.
