Tehran and Riyadh lock horns in Africa
Khartoum, one of Iran’s strategic military partners since 2014, is now a faithful ally of Saudi Arabia which is helping to prop up its economy.
Khartoum, one of Iran’s strategic military partners since 2014, is now a faithful ally of Saudi Arabia which is helping to prop up its economy. On 2 January, in a Saudi Prison, the Shia Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr was executed alongside 46 other men accused of terrorism. This proved to be the last straw as the execution triggered protests from the Shia community across the Middle East and inspired an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. In response, Riyadh broke off diplomatic relations with Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Saudi Arabia.
The public row between Iran and Saudi Arabia marked a new phase in the Middle East’s own cold war, a conflict that is spreading beyond regional boundaries and extending its sinister shadow across Africa. Countries such as Eritrea, Senegal, Djibouti and Somalia, but in particular Sudan, Tehran’s strategic partner until 2014, have been lining up in a united Sunni front and declaring their support for the Saudi monarchy.
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