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.
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Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran over the attacks on its diplomatic missions and Iran’s criticism of the execution, which Riyadh said amounted to meddling in its internal affairs.
“We have solid relations with the Islamic Republic (Iran)… and also we have relations with our Arab brothers and therefore we can not stay silent in this crisis”, Jaafari told the joint press conference in Tehran.
Saudi Arabia immediately cut diplomatic ties with Iran.
A new round of conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia will make it even less likely the group will agree on a production ceiling when it next meets this summer.
The Saudi government had accused al-Nimr of links to terrorism and inciting violence, despite reports that the Saudi religious figure was peaceful.
Longstanding tensions between Iran, the dominant Shiite Muslim power in the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia, its Sunni rival, erupted into a full-blown row Saturday when Riyadh executed cleric Nimr al-Nimr. “Russia has 20 million Muslims living in it. Russia can play a positive role and we wanted to engage with Russia, we wanted to improve our relationship with Russia not at the expense of our relationship with any other country but for the sake of having better ties with Russia”.
Beyond inciting unrest in Saudi Arabia, sectarian strife in Bahrain could provide an opportunity for Islamic State militants to exploit the chaos, targeting the tiny, strategically located nation.
Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said coalition jets carried out heavy strikes in Sanaa on Wednesday night to target missile launchers used by the Houthi militia to fire at Saudi Arabia.
Reduced revenues is forcing a reconsideration of the social contract between the Riyadh government and its citizens, a process that is likely to intensify gaps between the Sunni and Shiite communities in Saudi Arabia.
Saudis say the rupture with Iran is the latest evidence that the new rulers are less hesitant to act than their predecessors. Riyadh, Bahrain and Sudan severed relations with Tehran while Kuwait recalled its ambassador. 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.
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At least 2,795 civilians have been killed in Yemen since March, when the Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign to restore the government and drive back the Houthis and allied security personnel loyal to ex-President Saleh. Saudi Arabia is nominally part of a U.S.-led coalition targeting Islamic State with air strikes.
