DUBAI, March 13 (Reuters) – Iran has suspended talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia, an internet site affiliated to Iran’s prime safety physique reported on Sunday, with out giving a cause for the choice which comes as a fifth spherical of negotiations was resulting from begin this week.

A day earlier Saudi Arabia carried out mass executions that activists mentioned included 41 Shi’ite Muslims. In the meantime talks on an Iranian nuclear deal in Vienna have stalled.

“Iran has unilaterally suspended talks with Saudi Arabia,” Nour Information mentioned, with out offering a cause. It mentioned no particular date had been scheduled for a brand new spherical of talks.

The Saudi authorities media workplace CIC didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran, that are locked in proxy conflicts across the area, began direct talks final 12 months to attempt to include tensions. Iraq’s international minister mentioned on Saturday his nation would host a brand new spherical on Wednesday. learn extra

Riyadh in 2016 severed ties with Iran after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following the execution of a Shi’ite cleric in Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia mentioned it had executed 81 males in its greatest mass execution in many years. Activists and rights defenders mentioned 41 have been Shi’ite Muslims from the japanese Qatif area, which has traditionally been a flashpoint between the Sunni-dominated authorities and minority Shi’ites. learn extra

Saudi authorities didn’t reply to a Reuters’ request for touch upon that.

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah condemned in a press release on Sunday the executions as an “ugly crime”.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have backed opposing sides in regional conflicts and political disputes in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq for years, and Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition waging battle in opposition to the Iran-aligned Houthi motion in Yemen since 2015.

Riyadh has mentioned little progress has been made within the direct talks, which have targeted largely on Yemen. Houthi authorities mentioned on Saturday two Yemeni “prisoners of battle” have been amongst these executed by Saudi Arabia.

In the meantime, talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal face the prospect of collapse after a last-minute Russian demand pressured world powers to pause negotiations for an undetermined time regardless of having a largely accomplished textual content. learn extra

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom
Further reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh and Laila Bassam in Beirut
Writing by Ghaida Ghantous
Modifying by Richard Pullin, Mark Potter and Raissa Kasolowsky

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