US Warned Saudi Arabia About Consequences of Nimr's Execution

The White House announced that ahead of the mass executions on Saturday, it expressed its concerns about the potentially destructive consequences of this action, particularly the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric, to Saudi officials, warning that tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia deepen the sectarian divide in the Middle East. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, emphasized on Monday that the United States "certainly condemns the commission of mass executions in any country," while also warning that the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia makes the political resolution of the Syrian crisis more difficult. Mr. Earnest stated that "America's concerns about the potentially destructive consequences of the execution, mass execution, and particularly the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr were directly communicated to Saudi officials." The White House spokesman added that "these concerns were raised in advance [of the executions] with Saudi officials, and unfortunately, what we expressed concern about quickly led to the consequences we feared." He stressed that "we remain concerned about the need for de-escalation of the situation by Iran and Saudi Arabia, and we urge all parties to show restraint and not exacerbate the tensions that have resurfaced in the region." Mr. Earnest also mentioned that it is very difficult to bring all parties to the table, and when Iran and Saudi Arabia openly show hostility towards each other, it becomes even harder. He also confirmed that John Kerry, the Secretary of State, has been in contact with his Iranian and Saudi counterparts to convey this message. On Monday, reports emerged of a phone conversation between John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, and the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, with AFP reporting that Mr. Kerry urged both sides to exercise restraint. However, the Associated Press quoted a US official stating that the US does not wish to position itself between Iran and Saudi Arabia but wants to ensure the continuation of the fight against ISIS, recent peace efforts in Syria, and the Iran nuclear agreement. Concerns about human rights have been "regularly" raised with Saudi Arabia. The White House spokesman also stated that the US has regularly communicated concerns regarding the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia to Saudi officials. He recalled that such concerns were raised during discussions between Barack Obama, the President, and King Salman of Saudi Arabia. Concerns about executions in Saudi Arabia and the adverse consequences of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the region have previously been reflected in the statements of American officials. However, on Sunday night, one of the most explicit positions on this matter was articulated by Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate in the US presidential election, who stated that "if Saudi Arabia is trying to send a powerful message about resisting internal dissent and terrorist behaviors in this way, it will further inflame the region, and I believe it will lead to more dissent." Ms. Clinton emphasized that she does not think this is a "smart decision" by Saudi Arabia, even in the short or medium term, and she will publicly criticize this approach. The former Secretary of State, in response to the question of how she would deal with the current situation regarding executions in Saudi Arabia if she were President, stated that "this issue clearly raises serious questions that need to be addressed directly with the Saudi government."