Mohammad Baqir Nimr al-Nimr

UAE reacts furiously to Qatar’s restoring diplomatic relations with Iran; As Hajj approaches, Iran and Qatar remain in dispute with Saudi Arabia

Contents: Bahrain postpones trial of Shia cleric after threats from Iran; Iran – Saudi Arabia relations continue to deteriorate

Contents: Two million Muslims — but no Iranians — begin the Hajj pilgrimage on Friday; Saudi Arabia makes a dangerous accusation – that Iranians are ‘not Muslims’; Obama warns China not to ignore the Hague tribunal ruling on South China Sea

Contents: Iran threatens coup, after Bahrain revokes citizenship of Shia cleric; Iran reacts to a series of repeated anti-Shia moves by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

Contents: Deep Saudi-Lebanon crisis widens the Mideast’s sectarian fault line; Hackers steal thousands of employee W-2 tax documents from Seagate Inc.; Bangladesh bank says hackers stole $100M from its New York Fed account

Contents: Pakistan tries to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran; Reader questions about Mideast country alignments

Contents: Mideast trends: Sunni-Shia countries align along predicted lines; Saudi Arabia faces increased social unrest with sudden austerity budget

Contents: Sectarian Sunni-Shia split deepens over Iran – Saudi split; President Obama may have to choose between Saudi Arabia and Iran; Hezbollah-Israel violence growing on Lebanon border; Residents of Tel Aviv Israel in panic after Friday’s gunfire attack; European and Wall St stocks fall sharply, following China

Contents: Violent Anti-Saudi Shia protests spread around region after al-Nimr execution; Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran

Contents: Saudi Arabians execute 47 prisoners for ‘terrorism’ including prominent Shia cleric; Execution of Shia cleric Nirm al-Nimr triggers mass protests in Mideast