Saudi Arabia

Kuwait has recalled its ambassador from Iran as the regional row over the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia deepens. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran was stormed and set alight by angry protesters  on Saturday, following the execution of Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others. Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in response, followed by its allies Bahrain and Sudan. The BBC reports: Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran are major rivals for power in the Middle East and back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

The Iranian Intelligence Minister, Seyed Mahmoud Alavi, has said that Saudi Arabia’s government will soon be “toppled”, following the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr.  In a message on Monday, the Minister announced, “By adopting terroristic and inhuman policies, the Al Saud regime will not achieve enhanced security; on the contrary it will face imminent downfall“. Farsnews.com reports: The Iranian intelligence minister condemned Sheikh Nimr’s execution, and extended his condolences to the Muslim Ulemmas (scholars), freedom-seeking nations and the axis of resistance.

Earlier today, in the course of documenting the Mid-East melee that’s set to unfold amid a worsening diplomatic crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia, we noted that two Sunni mosques were attacked in Iraq on Sunday.

“The attack on the Ammar bin Yasir mosque in central Hilla destroyed its dome and several walls,” Reuters reported. “Another mosque in Hilla's northern outskirts, al-Fath al-Mubeen, was also attacked,” sources said.

Earlier today, in “Mid-East Melee: Sectarian Showdown Looms As Bahrain Cuts Ties With Iran, UAE Recalls Ambassador,” we brought you the latest from the war-torn Mid-East where a worsening spat between Saudi Arabia and Iran threatens to plunge the region into chaos.

The British prime minister has been urged to clarify the role the UK Government played in voting Saudi Arabia on to the UN Human Rights Council. The leaders of the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats are calling on David Cameron to come clean on the issue. The calls follow the kingdom’s execution of 47 people in a single day which sparked outrage across the Middle East.