ASSESSMENTS

The Attack on the Saudi Embassy Made Easy

Jan 4, 2016 | 18:21 GMT

Iranian protesters set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran on Jan. 2 during a demonstration against Saudi authorities' execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

(MOHAMMADREZA NADIMI/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

Iranian anger over Saudi Arabia's execution of imprisoned Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on Jan. 2 escalated rapidly over the weekend, leading to a breakdown of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran. The watershed moment occurred when thousands of Iranian protesters stormed and ransacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Saudi personnel wisely were not at the embassy at the time of the incident and, based on the severing of relations announced by the Saudi foreign minister on Jan. 3, they likely will not be in the country for much longer.

Absent specific intelligence, it would be difficult to prove that Iranian officials ordered the attack on the Saudi Embassy. However, they created an environment that encouraged and facilitated the attack and then failed to take action to stop it until significant damage had occurred. The Jan. 2 decision to close theological schools across the country turned loose the most likely demographic to protest: males in their late teens and early 20s eager to prove their righteousness....

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