America’s Role in the Saudi-Iran Fault Line
... considerations. And I would add here that I think it was a huge mistake to enact the blockade of Qatar and threaten a fellow GCC state in such a way, it also exacerbated problems in the sub-region. An unintended bi-product by the way is that it actually ... ... whirl of change in the region. The immediate post-popular uprisings phase had played out. Crucially there was new leadership in Saudi Arabia, finding its feet, still deciding on its direction. There was uncertainty in the region following the JCPOA nuclear deal, questions of where American-Iranian relations would go. And there was a sense of game on, that everything was up for grabs. The Obama administration seemed ...