Egyptian Twitter users have voiced solidarity with Saudi Arabia against threats made by Iran to the kingdom over the latter’s execution of an influential Shi'ite cleric for "terrorism".
“Egypt backs Saudi Arabia against terrorism” and “Salman’s army is 30 million-strong”, read two hashtags launched by Egyptian and Arab users following the execution.
Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened Saudi Arabia with "a divine revenge” over the execution of influential, Saudi-based Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr over charges of terrorism.
Nimr has been an outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia's rulers and has continued to call for broader rights for the kingdom’s Shi'ite population. He was arrested in 2012.
His execution stoked political and public outrage in Iran, where protesters reportedly set fire to the Saudi embassy in response.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia have for a long time viewed Shi'ite Iran as a regional threat to their Sunni identity.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
