Saudi allies break ties with Iran

Saudi Arabia’s closest Sunni allies followed suit with it in severing ties with Iran. Saudi authorities have also called off air traffic to Iran in yet another measure against the country after protesters stormed its embassy building in Tehran on Saturday and set it on fire.

Bahrain and Sudan have severed ties with Iran while the United Arab Emirates downgraded its ties with the country, further complicating the rift between Shias and Sunnis and the efforts to end the wars in Syria and Yemen.

Pakistan, an ally of Saudi Arabia, said that disunity in the region could provide advantageous grounds to the dark forces of extremism and terrorism.

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. However, the US has been successfully maintaining a neutral stand to keep its strong bilateral relations with Riyadh and bridge the gaps with Tehran.

“We think the best solutions are ones that come from the region,” the Wall Street Journal quoted State Department spokesman John Kirby as saying on Monday. “Real long-term solutions won’t be legislated from Washington, D.C.”

The tension in the region escalated after the execution of a Shiite cleric by Saudi authorities. It triggered protests in a number of countries and led angry protesters to attack the Saudi embassy in Tehran over the weekend. The embassy officials have returned to Saudi Arabia, and the country announced its decision to sever ties with Iran. It also gave a 48 hour deadline to Iranian diplomatic missions and other related entities to leave the country.

The execution of Shia religious leader Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has provoked international condemnation with human rights groups claiming that he was beheaded for opposing the Saudi regime. However, according to Saudi authorities, the cleric attempted to incite violence amongst his supporters.