The international political think tanks and even the allies of Riyadh affirm that the Saudi rulers’ problem with Iran is Tehran’s increasing power, which is a result of the Islamic Republic’s prudent policies in the region, Hamid Baeedinejad, the director general for political and international affairs at Iran’s foreign ministry, said in his Instagram page.
Riyadh became increasingly frustrated when it failed to prevent a final nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that stabilized Iran’s might in the region, the diplomat added.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, among dozens of others. The execution ignited widespread international condemnation, from both political and religious figures.
In the early hours of Sunday, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the Al Saud’s execution of the popular cleric.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized the incident and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Saudi Arabia, however, severed its diplomatic relations with Iran and gave the Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the kingdom.