United Arab Emirates downgrades Iran ties, curbs number of Iran diplomats

It exposed the sectarian divisions gripping the region and also illustrated the kingdom’s new aggressiveness under King Salman. Saudi Arabia is the dominant Sunni Muslim power in the Middle East, while Iran is led by Shiites.

He accused the Iranian authorities of not taking any measure to prevent the attacks against the embassy in Tehran and the consulate in the Iranian city of Mashhad. He vowed that Saudi Arabia will not allow Iran “to undermine our security”.

It said the UAE was doing this due to “Iran’s continued interference in the Gulf and Arab countries internal affairs”.

Shiite cleric Nimr Al-Nimr was mourned in eastern Saudi Arabia after being executed on Saturday.

European Union states, in a joint statement on Saturday, said al-Nimr’s killing “raises serious concerns regarding freedom of expression and the respect of basic civil and political rights”.

Al-Nimr was an outspoken religious leader who called for reform in the Saudi Arabian regime’s approach to minorities.

Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the Saudi decision was likely to have repercussions for the region, particularly concerning the Syrian negotiations. “When it comes to protecting British people, the Prime Minister has made it clear that intelligence from Saudi Arabia has helped save lives and protect people in the United Kingdom”. Also, with Saudi diplomatic missions closed in Iran, it will make it hard for Iranians to get visas for the hajj.

He said the blood of Sheikh Nimr would “plague the Al Saud [family] until the Day of Resurrection”, prompting cries of “Death to the Al Saud!” among an audience watching his address.

Iranian pilgrims would still be welcome to visit Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina in western Saudi Arabia, either for the annual haj or at other times of year on the umrah pilgrimage, he said.

The mass execution especially the handing of Sheikh Nimr triggered a strong protests as expected, and Saudi embassy in Tehran was also put on fire. The move came as Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that it was severing diplomatic relations with Iran amid escalating tensions.

Forty people were arrested, and investigators were pursuing others, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia responded on Sunday by severing diplomatic ties with Shiite-dominated Iran, its long-time regional rival.

2015 HAJJ DISASTER: On Sept. 24, a stampede and crush strikes the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

But it was the execution of prominent Shi’ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr that has inflamed relations with Iran.

In Bahrain, police fired tear gas and birdshot at demonstrators on Sitra Island, south of the capital Manama, wounding some.

Sheikh Nimr had been imprisoned since 2012, prompting a high-profile campaign for his release backed by Iran, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and Amnesty International. In Tehran, mobs attacked the Saudi, Kuwaiti, French and Iraqi embassies, ransacking the first two.