... playing a short-term zero-sum game of one-upmanship against the US from Europe to the Middle East. Russia’s desire to be a global power requires a more nuanced and long term view; especially of the second and third order effects of its actions.
For the GCC states, and especially Saudi Arabia, Russian backing of Iran (through sale of sophisticated military equipment) and its military and political support of the Syrian regime is of grave concern. The nuclear deal has only emboldened Iran’s aggressive actions and seen an uptick in its support for terrorist groups throughout the region. The campaign by the Syrian regime against its own people has had a devastating ...
The
crisis
that erupted between Saudi Arabia and Iran recently has been brewing for years now. There is no arguing that the two countries have never been allies but since the start of the armed conflict in Syria they found themselves directly challenging each other’s interests. The diplomatic ... ... shutting the Straight of Hormuz which would have had negative consequences for all of the GCC.
The reasons why the Saudi leadership makes risky moves in its Iran policy are multifaceted...
... Studies (DERASAT)
Though from a GCC perspective the main sticking point that has hampered these ties from reaching its potential has been Russian/Iranian relations. This has been the case especially more so in the Syrian context. With Russia entering the Syrian conflict on the side of Bashar and Iran, a recent poll in Saudi Arabia showed that Russia has become extremely unpopular
[11]
.
The GCC States have been involved in trying to settle the conflict in one way or another since the start of the protests in Syria. Each GCC State has played a different role with different levels of direct and indirect interaction. The two states which have ...
The Camp David summit between Barack Obama and GCC states that took place on May 13-14 bears an enormous symbolic meaning for Washington ... ... suffered a major blow due to Washington’s reluctance to stand by the Gulf states in Syria and more recently due to America’s decision to engage with Iran. Gulf monarchies are disturbed by the possibility of a real thaw in US-Iran relations... ... necessary defense components in place already, such as short-range Patriot systems in Saudi Arabia and THAAD systems in Qatar, but the new agreement provides for the installation...
