Jordan Summons Iranian Ambassador Over Tensions With Saudi Arabia

So far, Kerry has spoken to the foreign ministers of both countries as well as the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud. “Undoubtedly, such actions can’t cover up that big crime”.

“Turkey calls for abandoning the language of threats and a return to the language of diplomacy and asks that caution be used so that the tensions between the two countries does not negatively reflect on the region’s security, stability and peacefulness”, the ministry said on its website. “For one thing, Iran has a very important strategic position; for another, it is one of the major oil exporters”. Its soldiers are now fighting in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition against Shia Houthi rebels.

President Hassan Rouhani has referred to the embassy attackers as extremists and said Iran should put an end to attacking embassies once and forever.

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.

However, hours after Iran’s President’s statements, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Saudi Arabia would face “divine revenge” for the execution of Sheikh Al-Nimr, calling Al-Nimr a “martyr”. News of his execution has sparked Shiite protests from Bahrain to Pakistan.

Kuwait on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Iran, becoming the latest Arab country to side with Saudi Arabia in its fight with Tehran.

“Saudi Arabia made a mistake by executing Sheikh Nimr … and tried to make up for the mistake by making the much greater mistake of cutting its ties with Tehran”, he explained.

On Saturday, angry mobs in Shiite-dominated Iran stormed and set ablaze the Saudi embassy and consulate to protest at al-Nimr’s execution.

Russia’s foreign ministry called on the Saudis and Iranians to “show restraint and to avoid any steps that might escalate the situation and raise tensions including interreligious ones”. However, Kuwait did not say it would sever its ties to Iran. Riyadh also defended the execution of 47 men, including Nimr, saying in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that they were “granted fair and just trials without any consideration to their intellectual, racial or sectarian affiliation”.

Iran expressed “regret” over the attacks on the diplomatic missions in a letter to the United Nations on Monday and vowed to arrest those responsible.