“Protesters break into Saudi embassy building in Tehran,” Iran’s Shargh daily journalist Sobhan Hassanvand tweeted, providing photographs and video footage from outside and inside the building before and after the siege.
Flammable substance was seen thrown at the building as protests gained steam over the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
VIDEO: Footage from earlier tonight of protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at Saudi embassy in Tehran — @hamid3663 pic.twitter.com/j6ATZDYEzZ
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) January 2, 2016
“Molotov cocktail thrown at Saudi embassy building in Tehran, protest over al-Nimr execution,” Hassanvand wrote, providing video footage of a burning building.
Hours earlier, he published photographs of what he said were protesters taking down a Saudi flag at the country’s consulate in the second most populous Iranian city of Mashhad.
UPDATE: Saudi Arabia says #Iran responsible for protection of its embassy in #Tehran — @AlArabiya_Eng
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) January 2, 2016
Al-Nirm was among 47 people convicted of terrorism whose execution was announced by the Saudi interior ministry earlier on Saturday. He was sentenced to death on charges of inciting hatred and disobedience to the Saudi king in 2014, two years after his arrest during anti-government protests.
The Muslim world, a number of Western powers and watchdogs have expressed their disapproval of the execution in the wake of its announcement.
Fears of sectarian violence have spread after the execution.
