Consequences of the Execution of Nimr and the Attack on the Saudi Embassy

One day after the news of the execution of Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a Shia cleric, verbal attacks by Iranian officials against Saudi Arabia reached their peak. On Sunday, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran spoke of divine retribution and stated that the blood of this cleric, which he claimed was unjustly shed, would haunt Saudi politicians. Ayatollah Khamenei did not refer to the events that occurred on Saturday night in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. This was a point noted in President Hassan Rouhani's message. While condemning the execution of Sheikh Nimr as part of "sectarian policies, fueling terrorism, and extremism in the region and the world," Rouhani also deemed the attack on the Saudi embassy as "unjustifiable and an insult to the system and the dignity of the Islamic Republic." This response was somewhat similar to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which also deemed any gathering in front of the Saudi embassy as illegal and called for diplomatic police action. Habib Hosseini-Fard, an international relations analyst residing in Germany, commented on the reactions of senior Iranian officials to Sheikh Nimr's execution and the subsequent events, stating, "It seems that Mr. Rouhani has a more correct position. The harsh movements and reactions against Sheikh Nimr's execution effectively removed this execution from being the main issue and highlighted Iran's reaction and the attack on the Saudi embassy and consulate in international media. (While) the execution of Mr. Nimr did not go without international reaction, and all parties condemned this execution from a human rights perspective." This political observer added, "Iranian security officials monitor even the movement of a bird. However, they easily allow an unconventional and unusual attack on an embassy to occur, regardless of the issue at hand. This shows that Iran's security issues and its international relations are easily manipulated." Hosseini-Fard believes that the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad "allows Saudi Arabia to claim that Shia Muslims – not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other countries – are primarily pawns of Iran and receive orders from Iran; while this is not necessarily the case." Meanwhile, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, announced on Sunday morning the arrest of 40 individuals involved in the attack on the Saudi embassy, while the Tehran governor's office called on people to gather in Palestine Square. Their request referenced a call from the student Basij of Tehran universities, which had once again called for a gathering in front of the Saudi embassy. The Basij officials insisted on holding this gathering until a few hours before it, but ultimately stated that they had canceled it due to the lack of a permit. Nevertheless, Iranian news agencies reported on another gathering held on Sunday afternoon in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran. This gathering, according to these news agencies, took place in the presence of a large number of police officers, and even the Fars news agency reported the use of tear gas. During this gathering, the Tehran City Council's swift decision to rename the street where the Saudi embassy is located from "Boustan" to "Ayatollah Nimr Baqir al-Nimr" was executed. This decision was quickly proposed and approved in a city council meeting on Sunday following an urgent plan. Hussein Alizadeh, a former diplomat of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Finland, analyzed the reasons for the intense reactions in Iran to Mr. Nimr's execution, stating, "The point in describing Ayatollah Nimr Baqir al-Nimr is that, simply put, he is perceived as the Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah of Saudi Arabia." This former diplomat believes, "One can assume that if there were an assault on Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, what would Iran's reaction be? We are witnessing the same type of reaction regarding Sheikh Nimr's execution; moreover, in Iran, he is given the title of Ayatollah." Alizadeh concludes, "In fact, the Islamic Republic is telling Saudi Arabia with this description that you have executed a qualified jurist who had close relations with senior religious authorities, scholars, and marjas in Iran, and this is essentially a jab at Shia authority." Reactions to Sheikh Nimr's execution in Iran have not been limited to statements from various officials, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian army have also issued statements against this action. In the IRGC's statement, it was mentioned that a severe revenge would be taken from the Al Saud in the not-so-distant future. Alizadeh predicts the possible trajectory of events in the future, stating, "In the current situation where Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in proxy wars and conflicts in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, oil has been added to a fire that has been ignited, and the lava of this fire has risen above normal levels." This former diplomat of the Islamic Republic believes that if this trend continues, "the relations (between Iran and Saudi Arabia) will become very strained. It is likely that this deterioration in relations will hinder finding a solution to the Syrian issue, which some countries, including the United States, are seeking to resolve. The issue of oil will also be severely vulnerable due to the deterioration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia." While the status of the Saudi embassy's continued operation in Tehran remains unclear, the ISNA news agency reported that the operation of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh continued on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UAE Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador to the country on Sunday in protest against the attack on the Saudi embassy.