A senior Iranian lawmaker warns that Saudi Arabia’s possible execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr could trigger a new wave of unrest in the Arab country’s Shia-populated areas.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed the importance of improving relations with Brazil given the country’s special position in Latin America and in the BRICS group of major emerging economies.

Top clerics, Ayatollah Houri Hamedani and Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi warned Saudis over the consequences of Nimr execution.

Iran and Russia have exchanged views about possible political solutions to the four-and-a-half-year crisis in Syria, says Moscow.

Iranian officials said on Monday that the country plans to join an independent bank established by BRICS member states.