China envoy calls for calm and restraint between Saudi, Iran

He welcomed the Saudi initiative to establish a coalition of like-minded Islamic countries to counter terrorism and militancy and informed the Deputy Crown Prince that Pakistan supports efforts to counter terrorism and extremism.

“What we are now witnessing in the arena of regional developments is Saudi Arabia’s agitating approach”, Iran’s foreign minister said.

In the op-ed, Zarif said Saudi Arabia has been trying to block the finalization of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

The execution drew widespread worldwide condemnation from the religious and political figures.

The crisis in the relations between Riyadh and Tehran flared up January 2 after the execution of Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia. That is a scenario that Saudi Arabia doesn’t like to see.

Iranian protesters had stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad recently, prompting Riyadh to sever relations.

The ministers met to rally behind Saudi Arabia a week after it cut ties with Iran in a diplomatic crisis that has threatened to worsen Middle East conflicts.

The UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who chaired the meeting, said Iran had to “determine what kind of neighbour it wants to be”, further accusing it of supporting “extremist groups”.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi said on Sunday that Iran’s regime was involved in “provocative acts” against countries in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Iran find themselves on opposing sides of the wars in Syria and in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia had adopted the policy of confronting the regional realities and they seek escalation of tensions and hostility with Iran, Jaber Ansari said.

The ministers accused Iran of breaking worldwide agreements by intentionally failing to protect Saudi diplomatic posts in a statement issued following a closed emergency meeting.

Jubeir confirmed that some countries had offered to mediate in the dispute but suggested that such efforts were unlikely to make any progress.

Non-governmental organisations said in a letter to the United Nations General Assembly that Iran executed at least 830 people between January and November 1 previous year.

Aitzaz Ahsan, while talking to media in Lahore High Court premises, cited that Pakistan should not indulge in the row between Iran and Saudi Arabia.