Rouhani: Saudi Arabia Cannot Cover Up Its Crime by Cutting Ties

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, described Saudi Arabia's action of severing relations with the Islamic Republic as 'strange' and stated that this cannot cover up the 'great crime' of the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. According to ISNA, Rouhani made these comments on Tuesday, January 5, during a meeting with the Danish Foreign Minister in Tehran, saying, 'The response to criticism should not be beheading, and we hope that European countries, which always react to human rights issues, will fulfill their human rights duties in this regard.' Some European countries, including France and Germany, condemned the execution of Sheikh Nimr, and the European Union warned about the 'dangerous consequences' of executing this Shia cleric. Rouhani's remarks came just hours after Kuwait also recalled its ambassador from Tehran. Previously, Saudi Arabia, followed by Bahrain and Sudan, had severed their relations with Iran. The United Arab Emirates has also downgraded its relations with Iran. This series of changes in diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic follows an attack by protestors against Sheikh Nimr's execution on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran. However, Rouhani, who had previously criticized this attack, stated in his meeting with the Danish Foreign Minister that 'it is natural that crimes against Islamic and human rights will provoke public opinion.' In this context, the Security Council condemned the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and the commander of the Tehran Revolutionary Guards stated that the attack on the Saudi embassy was a very wrong act. Kuwait recalled its ambassador from Iran.