Surprise and concern over escalation Saudi-Iranian conflict

Iran points out that the Saudi move is not "strategic mistake" Riyadh can disguise the fact that the country has executed a prominent Shiite cleric.

Behind the scenes, trying to reduce the US the UN and probably also Russia with all his might to the tensions between the two countries, said Middle East correspondent Sander van Hoorn.

Syria consultation

The Saudi decision to establish the relationship between the two major Muslim power blocs in the region on high alert, comes at an unfortunate moment: the two countries had just fallen into conversation about a solution to the war in Syria.

In the five-year conflict Iran has prepared itself lagging behind the regime of Syrian President Assad while Saudi Arabia supports the Syrian rebels. End of this month should the peace talks on Syria, which Iran and Saudi Arabia play a big role, start in Geneva.

In the civil war in Yemen, the two countries against each other: Iran supports the Shiite rebels, while the Saudi regime supports the Yemeni president and the army carries out air strikes on the rebels. In addition the two countries also have significant influence in Lebanon, where there is always underlying tensions between the various population groups.

Statement

Yet decided the Saudi king Salman has apparently that the country must make a clear statement, Van Horn, by putting himself hard against Iran. In Tehran feared that the allies of Saudi Arabia, such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, close their embassies in Iran, said Iran correspondent Thomas Erdbrink. That would only lead to further isolation of Iran.

The tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia ran high on Saturday, when the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia was executed for terrorism, along with 46 others. Protests against the execution in the Iranian capital Tehran walked out of hand, when the Saudi embassy was stormed.

NOS.nl/ © EPA