More signs of tension in the Middle East

The execution has increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Analysts warn that it may produce serious consequences on the region.

The execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other people has caused deep division in the Middle East which is prone to religious conflicts and violence. Street protests broke out following the execution, seriously harming diplomatic relations between countries in the region.

Latest developments

Saudi Arabia earlier cut its diplomatic ties with Iran and said Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours. Saudi Arabia’s allies: Bahrain, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates also said they will sever diplomatic ties with Iran. These announcements were made after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

The execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr is facing strong international criticism, particularly in the Muslim world. Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the divine vengeance will befall the Saudi politicians. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Saudi Arabia's ruling Al Saud family will face a backlash.

Protests have been organized by Shiite communities in many countries in the region. Khalaf Abdelsamad, who heads the parliamentary bloc of Iraq's Shiite Dawa party, called for closing the Saudi embassy in Baghdad and urged the government to deport the Saudi ambassador. The US and the West described the execution as an inhumane punishment and urged leaders of Middle East countries to try to defuse regional tensions. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called for restraint and calm and ways to prevent religious tension from worsening.

Prolonged conflicts

Nim al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric from Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province, was a well-known figure at anti-government demonstrations and criticized Saudi rulers for their treatment of the kingdom’s Shiite minority. In 2012 he was accused of being behind attacks on police forces and was arrested. In October, 2015, the Saudi Supreme Court rejected his appeal to the death penalty.

Prolonged conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia involve religious, economic, and political differences. Saudi Arabia has a Sunni monarchy while Iran is the world’s Shiite Muslim center. Relations between the two countries became tense following Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 and deteriorated since the Arab Spring in 2011.

Syria has become a new front in the political battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iran supports president Bashar al-Assad while Saudi Arabia sponsors the Syrian opposition. Saudi Arabia accused Iran of supporting Shiite Houthi rebels to topple the pro-Saudi government in Yemen.

The execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr will likely deepen differences between the Shiites and Sunnis. Analysts warn that if the world community fails to engage Saudi Arabia and Iran in negotiations, their differences will aggravate conflicts in the Middle East. 

VOV