Iran: Saudi Arabia must choose between hatred or stability

Besides the tensions with Iran, the Saudi foreign minister was said to have briefed Prime Minister Sharif on details of the counter-terrorism coalition. It has edible oil and confectionery factories in Tehran. “Of course, the Saudi government, in order to cover up its crime of beheading a religious leader, has resorted to a unusual measure and has severed its ties with the Islamic Republic”, Rouhani said, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV. The Sunni-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members have thrown their support behind Saudi Arabia in its dispute with Shiite Iran. After yesterday’s announcement from Tehran, Savola’s next move will be something to look out for. They also reveal a broader and deep seated resentment and the reservations of the Pakistani citizenry regarding Pakistan being railroaded into doing the bidding of Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, a country that put to death more than 150 convicted prisoners in 2015, there has rarely been a more controversial execution in recent years. Relations between the longtime adversaries hit a fresh low on Thursday when Iran accused Saudi warplanes of deliberately targeting its embassy in Sanaa, damaging the property and seriously wounding a security guard. Iran’s diplomatic rift with regional rival Saudi Arabia will stiffen the challenge it faces in attracting foreign investment once sanctions on its economy are lifted, according to analysts from IHS Inc., Energy Aspects Ltd. and Emirates NBD PJSC. They were protesting against Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shiite cleric last week. Turkey’s government has urged both Riyadh and Tehran to ease tensions, criticizing both the execution of the cleric and the attacks on missions. It was the latest of several protests which have turned violent since Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr a week ago, stoking outrage among Shi’ites in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Middle East. The official foreign ministry source cited on sabanew.net said responsibility for the protection of diplomatic missions in Sanaa lay with the Houthi militia, who are in control of Sanaa, and their allies, forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Sanctions curbed Iran’s sales of crude and condensate to 1.4 million barrels a day in 2014 from 2.6 million in 2011, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in June. The two countries also support opposing sides in Syria. /2016/01/10/iran-saudi-arabia-must-choose-between-hatred-or-stability/