On Jan. 2, 2016, Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners. Immediate outcry came from regional rival Iran due to the political nature of the executions. Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was one of the executed prisoners. As a result of the executions, protestors attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran. In the days following the execution, Saudi Arabia has been called out by terrorist group al-Qaeda for the death of many of the group’s members.
On Jan. 3, 2016, Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran, giving Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the Saudi kingdom.
Both Iran and Iraq formally condemned the executions. The Iranian foreign ministry issued a statement claiming that the Saudi Arabian kingdom would pay a high price for its action. The outcry from Iran for the death of al-Nimr executed is nuanced. Though al-Nimr does not hold a senior role as a critic against the ruling Saudi family, he was nonetheless a vocal opponent and remained one of the very few in Saudi Arabia to maintain outspoken opposition. Al-Nimr refused to acknowledge an agreement made with former King Fahd that granted Saudi Shiites more rights in exchange for cessation of opposition towards the ruling family. Al-Nimr was also popular among a young Shiite population, because of his willingness to protest what he saw as unjust.
The divide between the religious background of the involved parties plays an important role in the outcry. The country of Saudi Arabia is largely Sunni—the largest denomination of Islam—while Iran is mostly Shia, the second largest branch. Although the two denominations share much in common, they are not the same and there is a cultural divide that has, in the past, caused tension between the two groups.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is seen as a supporter of Western politics and is a key ally to the United States. Iran is separate from those alliances and has been at odds with the U.S. for quite some time.
Of the 47 men executed, a majority were members of al-Qaeda. In a statement issued on Jan. 10, 2016, al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch and its North African wing said that Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, had gone ahead with the executions despite a warning not to do so.
In the statement posted on social media, the group stated: “But they (Riyadh) insisted on offering the blood of the good Mujahideen as a sacrifice for the Crusaders on their holiday, in the New Year.”
The statement implies that the executions were carried out to please western countries, and occurred as some sort of peace offering. Saudi Arabia has condemned both Al-Qaeda and ISIS as terrorist organizations and has been a vocal opponent.