Saudi Arabia and Iran The greater reality For art of Islamic tolerance
The Iranian nuclear deal is all but signed, and it may be time to look at its implications.The execution of 47 people on "terrorism" charges in Saudi Arabia, which included the Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr and the al-Qaeda figure Faris al-Zahrani, prompted an attack and torching of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, promptly followed by Saudi Arabia cutting its diplomatic ties with Iran completely.
The decades long rivalry between the two regional superpowers had finally come to a boiling point and assumed a false sectarian divide between the Sunni and the Shia Muslims, or even worse between Arabs and Iranians.However, in the Middle East zero sum game, everything is viewed to be at the expense of someone else. One group's gain is inevitably seen as a loss for another or, at a minimum, generate a large harvest of spite. The Iran nuclear deal will be seen by Israel and some key Arab countries as a geopolitical loss, with consequences rising therefrom.Of course, it does not help that Iran is involved to various degrees in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and possibly even Yemen. Whether that is seen as a necessary Iranian defensive strategy or a legitimate and sophisticated game of influence, it is perceived as a drive for hegemony by actors ranging from the president of Turkey to the king of Saudi Arabia, to many in between .
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, announced it was "downgrading" its diplomatic relations with Iran. The UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran and said it would also reduce the number of diplomats stationed in Iran, according to state news agency WAM.The UAE "has taken this exceptional step in light of Iran's ongoing interference in internal GCC and Arab affairs that has recently reached unprecedented levels," a government statement said.Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been at odds, but the comments come after Saudi Arabia kicked out Iran's diplomats, saying the attack was the last straw.
The Iranian nuclear deal is all but signed, and it may be time to look at its implications.The execution of 47 people on "terrorism" charges in Saudi Arabia, which included the Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr and the al-Qaeda figure Faris al-Zahrani, prompted an attack and torching of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, promptly followed by Saudi Arabia cutting its diplomatic ties with Iran completely.
The decades long rivalry between the two regional superpowers had finally come to a boiling point and assumed a false sectarian divide between the Sunni and the Shia Muslims, or even worse between Arabs and Iranians.However, in the Middle East zero sum game, everything is viewed to be at the expense of someone else. One group's gain is inevitably seen as a loss for another or, at a minimum, generate a large harvest of spite. The Iran nuclear deal will be seen by Israel and some key Arab countries as a geopolitical loss, with consequences rising therefrom.Of course, it does not help that Iran is involved to various degrees in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and possibly even Yemen. Whether that is seen as a necessary Iranian defensive strategy or a legitimate and sophisticated game of influence, it is perceived as a drive for hegemony by actors ranging from the president of Turkey to the king of Saudi Arabia, to many in between .
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, announced it was "downgrading" its diplomatic relations with Iran. The UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran and said it would also reduce the number of diplomats stationed in Iran, according to state news agency WAM.The UAE "has taken this exceptional step in light of Iran's ongoing interference in internal GCC and Arab affairs that has recently reached unprecedented levels," a government statement said.Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been at odds, but the comments come after Saudi Arabia kicked out Iran's diplomats, saying the attack was the last straw.
No comments:
Post a Comment