Saudi Arabia's execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr was intended to fuel Sunni-Shia strife and "set the region on fire", a lawmaker from Iraq's ruling Shia coalition told al-Sumaria TV on Saturday.

"This measure taken by the ruling family (of Saudi Arabia) aims at re-igniting the region, provoking sectarian fighting between Sunnis and Shia," Mohammed al-Sayhud said, according to the TV station's website.