Saudi Arabia Severs Ties with Iran

Furious Iranian protesters stormed the building leaving a trail of destruction in their wake after the Sunni kingdom executed prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and three other Shi’ites along with dozens of al Qaeda members.

Saudi Arabia can not evade its “big mistake” of executing a prominent Shiite cleric by cutting diplomatic ties with Iran, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said.

According to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, all Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours and Saudi Arabia is recalling its diplomats from Tehran.

This diplomatic row is the latest in the often-conflicted relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

He was charged with instigating unrest and undermining the kingdom’s security, making anti-government speeches and defending political prisoners.

Bobby Ghosh, a former Baghdad correspondent for Time and managing editor of Quartz, told CNN that Saudi Arabia is now “sending a message to the Shia population in the east that they are a minority and they will remain that way”.

Al-Abadi tweeted Saturday night that he was “shocked and saddened” by al-Nimr’s execution, adding that “peaceful opposition is a fundamental right”.

As protests erupt around the world and tensions rise between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Calgarian Riyaz Khawaja said he was saddened by news of the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

The ultraconservative Sunni kingdom and Shi’ite powerhouse Iran have waged a bitter struggle for regional power for years. In Lebanon, the leader of Hezbollah, which has been fighting on the side of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad against Sunni insurgents in the country’s civil war, said the death of Sheikh Nimr was a “message of blood”.

Al-Jubeir said the Kingdom rejects all criticism of the Saudi justice system.

The note also expressed UAE’s condemnation of the Iranian attacks on the diplomatic missions of Saudi Arabia, stressing that Iran has to respect its worldwide obligations regarding diplomatic missions and the protection of diplomats on its land. Rohani said he ordered the Interior Ministry to apprehend those responsible for the embassy attack and bring them to court to “end forever such ugly acts”.

Hundreds of al-Nimr’s supporters also protested in his hometown of al-Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia, in neighboring Bahrain where police fired tear gas and bird shot, and as far away as northern India.

In Tehran, protesters stormed the Saudi embassy early on Sunday and Iran’s top leader predicted “divine vengeance” for Saudi Arabia’s execution of the cleric.

The Saudi consulate in the Iranian city of Mashad was also set on fire during the protests that erupted after Nimr’s execution was announced. Relatives of Nimr, reached by telephone, said authorities have informed them that the body had been buried “in a cemetery of Muslims” and would not be handed over to the family.