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Saudi Allies Sever Ties With Iran

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Iranian women gather during a demonstration against the execution of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr (portrait) by Saudi authorities, at Imam Hossein Square in the capital Tehran on January 4, 2016. Tensions between Iran and its Sunni Arab neighbors reached new heights as Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies cut or downgraded diplomatic ties with Tehran in a row over the execution of a Shiite cleric. (Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images)
Iranian women gather during a demonstration against the execution of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr (portrait) by Saudi authorities, at Imam Hossein Square in the capital Tehran on January 4, 2016. Tensions between Iran and its Sunni Arab neighbors reached new heights as Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies cut or downgraded diplomatic ties with Tehran in a row over the execution of a Shiite cleric. (Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images)

The execution of a Shiite cleric by Saudi Arabia on Saturday sparked violent anti-Saudi protests in Iran yesterday. In response, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran last night, and allies including Sudan and Bahrain followed suit this morning.

What are the geopolitics of this latest conflagration in the Middle East? Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh of MIT's Security Studies Program discusses this with host Meghna Chakrabarti.

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This segment aired on January 4, 2016.

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