Now Saudi Arabia, which dominates OPEC, is embroiled in an escalating diplomatic row with another member, Iran, over Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shia cleric.
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Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran – two regional powerhouses – have begun to deteriorate following Riyadh’s execution of a Shiite cleric on Saturday.
Map of the Middle East showing countries by the dominant religion of the government.
However, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on the same day that Iranian pilgrims would still be welcome to visit Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina in western Saudi Arabia, either for the annual Hajj or at other times of year on the Umrah pilgrimage.
“This trend of creating tension must stop”.
“It goes without saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the rights to pursue the issue through legal channels”.
Iran hit back Thursday by announcing a ban on imports from the kingdom, which will reportedly affect goods worth about $40 million (37 million euros).
On Tuesday, Riyadh cut the February price of its export oil to Europe in another move to win market share.
The accusation came after Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran earlier this week after protesters set fires at the Saudi embassy in Tehran following the execution of a Shiite cleric by the Saudis.
Jordan summoned Iran’s ambassador in Amman on Wednesday to condemn the attack by protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and “Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Arab states”, the state news agency Petra said.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t rank among Iran’s top trading partners but the ban on pilgrimages could hurt: it makes around $18 billion a year from religious tourism, and Iranians comprise one of the biggest groups of visitors.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have long vied for influence in the Middle East. Their rivalry deepened following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the chaos of the Arab Spring, which gave rise to proxy wars in Syria and Yemen.
“We will inform the Security Council of the details of this attack within several hours”, he said, adding that “Saudi Arabia is responsible for the security of our diplomats and of our embassy in Sanaa”.
Zarif reiterated that the embassy’s ransacking had no official blessing.
Zarif said Iran “wants no tension in the region and would always welcome dialogue with its neighbours”.
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While Riyadh views the Houthis as Iranian proxies working to expand Tehran’s influence, the rebels themselves insist that their sole aim is to liberate their nation from a corrupt government.
