Iran-Saudi Rift Complicates U.S. Campaign Against ISIS

Qatar’s foreign ministry has recalled its ambassador to Tehran today following attacks on two Saudi diplomatic offices in Iran earlier this week.

Riyadh on Sunday severed relations with Iran after its embassy in Tehran was set ablaze during protests against Saudi Arabia’s execution of prominent Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr, who was put to death along with 46 other mostly Sunni convicts on terrorism charges.

McCain also expressed support for Saudi Arabia, a USA ally, and said US disengagement from the region was exacerbating tensions between rival powers Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The row has raised fears of an increase in sectarian tensions in the Middle East that could derail efforts to resolve pressing issues including the wars in Syria and Yemen.

Although relations between Saudi Arabia, which is mostly Sunni, and Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, have never been warm, the tensions mark the worst deterioration in ties in recent years.

This is the worst phase of confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in thirty years and therefore the stances of solidary countries like the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan to shut down and downgrade their diplomatic missions with Iran bears an important meaning for Riyadh.

“In the case of the British embassy we are not aware of any legal action taking place against the aggressors”, said Rassam.

Saudi Arabia’s consulate in second city Mashhad was also torched.

However, economists believe there chances of Saudi Arabia cutting production to shore up oil prices remain slim, unless other crude producers such as Russia, Iran and Iraq are prepared to do the same.

In Yemen, Riyadh is leading a military intervention against Iran-backed Shiite rebels who have seized control of large parts of the country.

Brushing aside the Iranian apology, Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdullah al-Mouallimi tied the normalization of his country’s relations with Iran to the latter’s future conduct.

After reaching a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in July, Rouhani is seeking to end Iran’s long isolation with the West. However, the repercussions of the attack could jeopardize that, posing the biggest diplomatic crisis of his government.

“It targeted the security of the kingdom of Bahrain by [plotting to] carry out a series of unsafe bombings”.

Several allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom’s lead and on Monday scaled back diplomatic ties to Iran.

“We want to see tensions reduced, we want to see dialogue restored”, said John Kirby, the State Department spokesman.