Now it is Lebanon’s Turn to Become the Stage for Saudi Arabia to Resolve its Regional Issues
On November 4, 2017, Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri announced his resignation on Saudi television. In his speech, Hariri
accused Iran
of spreading discord in the region, motivated by hatred for Arabs,...
... a position that is equidistant from those of Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, everyone understands that al-Sadr’s visit to Saudi Arabia does not mean he refuses to support influential forces in Iran. Despite the difficult relations with Iran, al-Sadr ... ... different views and faiths. His action have led to a “blurring” of the National Iraqi Alliance — the body that gave the Shiites a majority in the county’s decision-making process.
The Sadrist Al-Ahrar Bloc distanced itself from a coalition with ...
... numerous ungoverned
grey zones
attracted al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a powerful regional terrorist organization that is gaining ground in this snowballing crisis.
The regional narrative suggests that Yemen presents a battlefield for the Iran-led Shiites and Saudi Arabia, the self-proclaimed Sunni leader. The two countries are generally seen by pundits as regional rivals in many different locations from Syria and Lebanon to Bahrain and Yemen. To this end, the Houthi success seems to hurt the Saudis and to ...
... collective security system on the basis of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (which includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain) represented another instrument of deterrence, although one still lacking efficiency. Saudi Arabia could neither promote anti-Iranian integration under the Council, nor involve a country with combat-ready armed forces (chiefly Jordan and Morocco).
Removing Nuri al-Maliki
AFP / LOUAI BESHARA
Elena Suponina:
Shiites and Sunnis: The Danger of Major War
from Syria to Pakistan
Destabilization of Iraq – the “pearl” in the sphere of Iranian influence – takes on particular significance as the third tool to curb Iran.
Given the serious setbacks,...