Iran condemns attacks in Saudi Arabia, calls for regional unity

"There are no more red lines left for terrorists to cross. Sunnis, Shias will both remain victims unless we stand united as one," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

July 05, 2016 02:49 pm | Updated September 18, 2016 11:26 am IST - Dubai

Iran condemned attacks targeting Shia Muslims and a sacred site in Saudi Arabia, saying on Tuesday it was time the countries set aside their differences to confront Islamist militants.

A suicide bomber killed four security personnel outside the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the second-holiest site in Islam, on Monday, the same day as devices exploded outside a Shia mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia and near the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah.

“There are no more red lines left for terrorists to cross. Sunnis, Shias will both remain victims unless we stand united as one,” Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

Iran, the leading Shia Muslim power, has been calling for rapprochement with Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, after years of rivalry climaxed in a break-down of diplomatic relations in January.

The countries are both fighting the ultra-hardline Sunni fighters of Islamic State - Tehran has sent in troops to confront the movement and other militants in Syria's civil war while Riyadh has been hit by a series of attacks claimed by the jihadists.

“Terrorism does not have any border and does not recognise any nationality. There is no other solution but to create a regional and international united front against it,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia, which accuses Iran of spreading sectarian strife by backing Shia militias in Yemen, Iraq and Syria and encouraging discord in the kingdom's largely Shia east.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran in January after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

Their ties have been tested even further by their backing for opposing sides in Syria's war, and by security at annual haj pilgrimage.

More than 2,000 pilgrims, 464 of them Iranian, died in a crush at last year's haj in the sacred Saudi city of Mecca.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.