Saudi Arabia said the current tension was due to attacks by Iranian protesters against its diplomatic missions.
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Both countries are also deeply involved in the war in Syria, where Iran supports President Bashar al-Assad and has supplied “military advisers” to his regime.
YEMEN – The Arab world’s poorest country is torn by a civil war pitting its internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are supported by Iran.
Pakistan is concerned over recent tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran that spiralled after the execution of Shia scholar Sheikh Nimr al Nimr, the Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said in a policy statement he read before the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The crisis began at the weekend when Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as well as 46 other convicts, prompting a furious reaction from Tehran.
This was followed on Monday by Bahrain and Sudan cutting ties with Tehran, while the United Arab Emirates downgraded its links with Iran, recalling its envoy.
Oil prices rose in Asia on Monday after crude kingpin producer Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran following a row over the Saudi execution of a Shia cleric.
“We do continue to be concerned about the need for both the Iranians and the Saudis to de-escalate the situation”, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
“We believe diplomacy and negotiations are the best way to solve problems between countries”, he added.
He says the “security of the kingdom is an integral part of Egypt’s security and Egypt’s security is an integral part of the kingdom’s security”. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Iranian diplomats had 48 hours to leave. Jordan’s government spokesman, Mohammed Momani, has condemned the attack on the Saudi Embassy in Iran.
The concerted campaign by Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia highlights the aggressive stance King Salman and his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have adopted in confronting Iran, a longtime regional rival. He was among 47 people executed on Saturday for terrorism offenses.
Other sources said there could be also a rise in attacks on Shiite mosques, mainly in Iraq and Lebanon.
The diplomatic crisis surrounding Saudi Arabia and Iran widened as Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Teheran in the face of growing worldwide concern.
The sheik’s execution apparently was created to send the message that King Salman – who has worn the crown for less than a year since the death of his half-brother, Abdullah – plans to stand up to Iran.
Vali Nasr, a Middle East scholar and dean of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., joined NPR’s “Morning Edition” today to discuss the deteriorating relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
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Saudi Arabia, the leading Sunni Muslim power in the Middle East, and Shiite power Iran have long competed for influence in the region.
