Iran: Saudi Arabia must choose between hatred or stability

In Saudi Arabia, a country that put to death more than 150 convicted prisoners in 2015, there has rarely been a more controversial execution in recent years.

Besides the tensions with Iran, the Saudi foreign minister was said to have briefed Prime Minister Sharif on details of the counter-terrorism coalition.

Zarif said that from the first days of President Hassan Rouhani’s election, both he and the president have sent public and private signals to Saudi Arabia “about our readiness to engage in dialogue and accommodation to promote regional stability and combat destabilizing extremist violence”. Police fired tear gas and birdshot while protesters threw Molotov cocktails as they tried to reach a main highway.

On January 3, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the execution of Sheikh Nimr.

The Gulf ministers who met Saturday in Riyadh, though, together insisted that Iran is in the wrong – not just because of the embassy attacks specifically, but due to its actions and comments criticizing the Saudi executions.

Around 1,000 protestors marched through Tehran chanting “death to Al-Saud” – Riyadh’s ruling family, according to an AFP photographer.

The Pakistani government deserves credit for its deft handling so far of the potentially explosive situation created by the aggressive regional power play of its “close ally” Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its support during Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir’s visit to Islamabad for discussions on his country’s diplomatic row with Iran and the multinational coalition against terrorism it has announced, Dawn online reported.

Speaking on Iranian state television, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in Tehran’s first response that by cutting diplomatic ties, Riyadh could not cover up “its major mistake of executing Sheikh Nimr”.

The escalating tensions between the two adversaries may imperil efforts to end the wars gripping Syria and Yemen, where Saudi Arabia and Iran back rival sides.