Baghdad to be mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Some of its allies among Sunni Arab states followed suit, with Bahrain and Sudan breaking off ties and the United Arab Emirates downgrading relations.

Qatar has had troubled relations with Saudi Arabia in the past, but ties have improved in recent years, and both countries are leading backers of the Syrian rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.

The execution last weekend of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric and opposition figure in Saudi Arabia, has heightened the Saudi-Iran regional rivalry, threatening to derail already shaky peace efforts over the wars in Syria and Yemen.

“Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strategic and fraternal, and we share a common destiny”. “We expect all countries in the region to show common sense and take steps aimed at easing the tensions in the region”, Davutoglu told his ruling party in a speech in Ankara.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Shiite protesters marched in Sitra, south of Bahrain’s capital, Manama, over Mr al-Nimr’s execution.

Iran condemned the killing again on Tuesday, with Rouhani accusing Riyadh of seeking to “cover its crime” by severing ties.

The US has been trying to de-escalate the tensions between the two countries by contacting Saudi and Iranian officials in the past two days.

They said that all commercial and air traffic links were being cut and that Saudi citizens were banned from travelling to Iran.

The speaker also commended Riyadh’s pivotal role in the region and its anti-terror efforts, denouncing the Saturday attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

The crisis has also raised fears of an increase in sectarian violence in the Middle East, including in Iraq where two Sunni mosques were blown up late Monday and two people killed. Egypt cut ties with Iran in 1989.

However, Jubeir said Saudi Arabia had been right to execute Nimr, whom he accused of “agitating, organizing cells, providing them with weapons and money” – allegations that the cleric’s family have denied.

Pakistan showed concerns over the escalation of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran and criticised the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.