Iran’s supreme leader and President Sunday condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr, warning ahead of protests that the killing was an injustice that could have serious consequences.
Iran’s supreme leader and President Sunday condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr, warning ahead of protests that the killing was an injustice that could have serious consequences.
The remarks from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and highlighted the fury over the death of Nimr, who spent over a decade studying theology in the Islamic republic.
Khamenei said Saudi Arabia would face “divine revenge” for its actions.
Khamenei, who spoke ahead of protests planned to start in Tehran at 1200 GMT, called the killing of Nimr “a political mistake by the Saudi government” that would “haunt its politicians”.
“The unjustly spilt blood of this martyr will have quick consequences,” Khamenei said in a speech to clerics.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also condemned the Saudi execution and said, “I have no doubt that the Saudi government has damaged its image, more than before, among the countries in the world — in particular (among) Islamic countries — by this un-Islamic act,”
Yet, the people of Iran “will not allow rogue elements” to use the incident and “carry out illegal actions that damage the dignity of” Iran.
