Prayers in Iran prepare for protests to rally cross-country and chant "death to House of Saud"

Prayers in Iran prepare for protests to rally cross-country and chant "death to House of Saud" (Taz).

Iranian prayers are preparing to rally against the execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia, after Friday Congregational Prayer.

The rallies will be launch in all Iranian cities on Jan.8, ISNA reported.

"The Islamic Propagation Coordination Council called prayers to rally cross-country to chant "death to House of Saud", the report says.

Over the past few days, the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia deteriorated following the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, on Jan. 2.

Reacting to al-Nimr’s execution, a group of hardline Iranians stormed Saudi embassy in Tehran, smashing furniture and setting fire to the building before being dispersed by police.

Officially, Iran expressed strong protest regarding the execution, and the fragile relations between the two countries started going even further downhill from there.


Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said Jan. 7 the country’s embassy in Sanaa was hit in an airstrike by Saudi Arabia. However, the Saudi-led coalition as well as Yemen's Foreign Ministry denied Iran's accusation. Hmmm.......The Religion of peace.

Official: Iran Ready to Replace Arab States, Turkey with Russia for Export of Food Products.

Official: Iran Ready to Replace Arab States, Turkey with Russia for Export of Food Products. (Fars).

Iranian producers are ready to replace Russia for the transit and export of their food and agricultural products after some Arab countries severed their ties with Iran and also due to the Ankara-Moscow strained relations, a trade official announced.

"Russia as a consumer and a bridge between Iran and the European countries will replace Turkey and Arab countries for export of our food products," presiding board member of Iran's Food Industries Association Alireza Moravatpour told FNA on Wednesday.

He reiterated that the replacement of Russia for export of Iran's food products will inflict heavy losses on Arab trading companies, and said, "Instead Russia's big market will open doors to the Iranian producers and traders."

The official noted that the Arab countries acted as a broker for export of Iran's food products, and Iran is now to replace them.

"Given the recent developments in the region, Russia will act as a bridge for export of Iran's food products to replace the Arab countries," Moravatpour added.

In relevant remarks in mid-December, the executive director of the Iranian Trade Association Hedayat Asqari outlined the prospects of replacing Turkish fruit, meat and fish with Iranian products in the Russian market.

Asqari said that an Iranian delegation had already clinched a preliminary agreement with a Moscow-based wholesale company on the supply of Iranian fruits and vegetables to the Russian capital.

“We have bought 60,000 tons of apples, kiwis, cucumbers and other produce, as well as about 10 million cans of fruit syrup, which are ready to ship to Russia as soon as we get a go-ahead from our Russian partners,” he said.

The official said that the Iranian Trade Association is also ready to supply fish, eggs and meat to the Russian market to fully satisfy the Russian consumers’ demand for such products.

Now that Russia has sanctioned Turkey as one of its main suppliers of agricultural products, the Iranian businessmen have doubled their efforts to take the Russian market.

On November 23, High-ranking Iranian and Russian officials inked 7 cooperation Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Hmmm........Will do wonders for the Turkish Economy.

Iran calls off Major Hajj to Mecca.

Iran calls off Major Hajj to Mecca. (IH).

The spokesman of parliament's Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee has said Major Hajj has been cancelled due to the severance of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the impact of a break in ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia on this year’s Hajj, Mohammad Ali Esfanani said, "Iran should have taken the first step to cut its ties with Saudi Arabia after the Mina tragedy. After committing all these crimes, Saudi Arabia should not have been allowed to make a decision in this regard because the Saudis martyred many innocent pilgrims and now they have shamelessly executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr."


Update: 

Organizing Hajj pilgrimage for Iranians will be decided by top officials of the government, head of Hajj and pilgrimage organization Saeed Ohadi said on Monday, IRNA reported.

Ohadi made the remarks in a statement in reaction to public query concerning Hajj pilgrimage in Iranian year of 1395 (2016).

In the statement, Ohadi said that any decision concerning Hajj should be taken by Supreme Leader Office and the government.

He said that he released the statement following the public query carried by the media and the cyber space news networks about Hajj pilgrimage next year.

💥 ⬆️ #Saudi authorities removed signs at Iranian pilgrims locations in Mecca after Tehran called off Hajj. #Iran" pic.twitter.com/jsv0aKo8kq

— Hasan Sari (@HasanSari7) January 4, 2016

Video - Nasrallah in Response to Al-Nimr Execution: This Will Spell the End of the Saud Regime and Clan

In a January 3 address, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in response to the execution of Saudi Shiite Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr: "This blood that has been shed will spell the end of the [Saud] regime and clan." Nasrallah further said: "When a regime loses its mind and loses even the slightest shred of humanity... it means that it has reached the brink of the abyss." The address was broadcast by Al-Manar TV.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrein cut ties with Iran, expels Tehran envoys.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cut ties with Iran, expels Tehran envoys. (NCRI).

Saudi Arabia announced late Sunday that it would officially sever ties with Iran after having two of its diplomatic posts attacked in the Islamic republic.

Saudi’s Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, speaking in an address aired by Al Arabiya News Channel, said Iran’s diplomatic mission staff and related structures in Saudi Arabia had been given 48 hours to leave.

He also accused Iran of having a long-track record of violating diplomatic missions, and called Tehran a regional menace for its smuggling of arms and explosives and its harboring of Al-Qaeda militants since 2001.

💥 ALERT: MORE: #Bahrain severs its relations with #Iran , demands its diplomatic mission staff in Tehran leave within 48hrs. #SaudiArabia"

— Hasan Sari (@HasanSari7) January 4, 2016

#BreakingNews UAE downgrades #Iran diplomatic representation to the level of charge d’affaires https://t.co/FePVremEFf via @AlArabiya_Eng

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) January 4, 2016

Iran's Greatest Military Advantage over Saudi Arabia: SEA POWER. 395 vessels to 55, plus IRGC naval assets pic.twitter.com/JXNyHQpW0i

— Micha'el Tanchum (@michaeltanchum) January 4, 2016

One of the reasons that made #SaudiCutsTiesWithIran was assaulting diplomatic missions says @Infographic_ksa #Iran pic.twitter.com/7QrwOwaTxY

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) January 4, 2016

Video - Saudi TV Host on the Iranian Threats: We Represent Two Billion Muslims, Iran Only 200 Million.

Video - Saudi Cleric Ali Al-Malki: Our Ruler May Kill One Third of the People So That Another Third Can Live in Peace.

Video - Saudi Cleric Ali Al-Malki: Our Ruler May Kill One Third of the People So That Another Third Can Live in Peace.

In a TV interview, Saudi cleric Ali Al-Malki said: "It was written in books by some Islamic scholars that if the ruler decided to kill one third of the people so that the other third could live in peace, this would be permitted according to Islamic law." Al-Malki was speaking on Rotana Khalijiyya TV on January 2, 2016.

Iran accuses Saudis of supporting terrorism,will pay a high price for it's policies after execution of Shia cleric

Iran accuses Saudis of supporting terrorism,will pay a high price for it's policies after execution of Shia cleric. (Taz).

Iran strongly condemned the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, top Shia cleric, by Saudi Arabia, accusing the Saudi government of supporting “terrorist” groups.

The Saudi government supports “terrorist and extremist” groups, while executing and suppressing domestic critics, the spokesman of Iran's foreign ministry, Hossein Jaber Ansari said, semi-official Fars news agency reported Jan. 2.

He further referred to Sheikh Nimr’s execution as “imprudence and irresponsibility.”

Jaber Ansari also said that the Saudi government will pay a “high price” for its policies.

The Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said Jan. 2 that 47 "terrorists" including al-Nimr and al-Qaeda-affiliated Faris al-Zahrani were executed.

In a press release read on state TV, the ministry listed the names of all those it said were already convicted on charges of terrorism.

The death sentence of al-Nimr, who led anti-government protests in the country's east, was confirmed by the Supreme Court in last October.


Iran and Saudi Arabia, the region's foremost Shiite and Sunni Muslim powers hold different views over several regional issues such as the situations in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.

Vice Chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said on Saturday that the commission in a letter to Foreign Ministry has called for reducing the number of personnel in Saudi Arabia Embassy in Iran, IRNA reported.

Hossein Sobhani-nia told IRNA that the parliamentary demand to downgrade diplomatic ties with the Saudi government comes in reaction to martyrdom of Saudi Shia Cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr.

The letter also made a reference to the Saudi hostile policies against Iran, failure of the Saudi government to pay reparations to Iranian families who lost their loved ones at Mina tragedy and failure to punish the Saudi policemen for harassment of two Iranian pilgrims in Jeddah airport.

The letter was forwarded to Foreign Ministry Saturday by Chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi.

Sobhani-nia MP of Neishbour, further noted that currently 22 people are working in Iran's Embassy and Consulate in Riyadh while the number of Saudi Arabia Embassy and Consulate staff stands at 60, which is requested to be brought down due to the Saudi Kingdom's hostile policies.


In a blatant violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Geneva Convention about Human Rights, the Saudi government martyred 47 people including the Shia religious leader.

Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon summoned the Saudi Arabian chargé d'affaires in Tehran to condemn execution of prominent Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, IRNA reported.

According to IRNA, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian summoned the Saudi chargé d'affaires Ahmad al-Movaled to voice Iran's strongly worded protest against execution of prominent Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

BREAKING: Iran set to execute 27 Sunni clerics and preachers according to human rights group

— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) January 2, 2016

#Iran - #Saudi execution of cleric #Nimr You know this might do wonders for the price of #Oil with a bit of press coverage & speculation. :)

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) January 2, 2016

Protesters reportedly burn down the Saudi consulate in #Mashhad, #Iran, after Saudis executed Shia cleric al-Nimr. pic.twitter.com/aKnm980EP7

— Lina Arabi (@LinaArabii) January 2, 2016

#Iran leader's site publishes following picture over Shia cleric execution in #SaudiArabia. https://t.co/fYrVzaqZrC pic.twitter.com/U37uqOOgMT

— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) January 2, 2016