Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's statement against Israel, in favor of Iran and a new power game in the region
Navigating The New Power Dynamics In The Middle East
1. Saudi Crown Prince Denounces Israel’s Actions as “Genocide
Mohammed bin Salman condemned Israel's offensive in Gaza, holding it accountable for violence against Palestinians.
2. Saudi-Iran Unity Highlighted in Riyadh Summit
In a surprising show of cooperation, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince met Iranian President Raisi, emphasizing regional solidarity.
3. Iran Calls for Israel’s Army to be Declared a “Terrorist Organization”
Iranian President Raisi urged Islamic nations to blacklist Israel’s military over its actions in Gaza.
4. Normalization Talks with Israel Suspended by Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia appears to pause talks of normalizing relations with Israel amid Gaza conflict.
5. Middle East Summit Unites Islamic Leaders Against Israel’s Gaza Offensive
Leaders from Arab nations and Iran united in Riyadh, discussing measures against Israeli actions in Gaza.
In the midst of ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, on the one hand, a meeting of Muslim and Arab countries is being held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, while on the other hand, important meetings are held between the top officials of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are considered rivals. And the conversation is happening.
A high-level delegation of the Saudi military has recently visited Iran, while Iranian President Masoud al-Majkiyan has also spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to Iranian media, the Saudi delegation discussed military relations between the two countries with Iranian military officials.
According to the Public Relations Department of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Fayyaz bin Hamid al-Rawali, also discussed defense relations with the Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baghey.
Iranian media is calling the visit "unusual" as the last direct military contact between the two countries was through telephone calls in December 2023.
The Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia shared the information regarding this visit on X and said that the meeting between the two countries is to discuss military and defense cooperation.
But perhaps this matter is not so simple. Last Friday, a camp of the Saudi Arabian army was attacked in the city of Zion in Hazra Mut province of Yemen, in which a Saudi officer and a soldier were killed and a third was injured.
It should be noted that Iran supports the Houthi rebels in Yemen, while the government there is supported by Saudi Arabia. The coalition army led by Saudi Arabia issued a statement regarding the attack on the camp, calling it "cowardly".
However, at a meeting of Muslim and Arab countries in Riyadh on Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman condemned Israel's actions in Gaza as 'genocide' and warned Israel against attacks on Iran. What, which indicates better relations between Tehran and Riyadh.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza last year, this is the first time such a harsh statement has been made by the Saudi authorities. In his address to the meeting of the leaders of the Arab and Islamic countries in Riyadh under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman spoke about Lebanon and Iran. He also condemned the Israeli attacks.
The Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Fayaz bin Hamid al-Walili, discussed defense relations with his Iranian counterpart, the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Mohammad Baghey.
Crown Prince talks with Iranian President
After the high-level delegation of Saudi Arabia arrived in Iran, Iranian President Masoud Al-Mabazikian contacted the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, by telephone.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Masoud Al-Mabikian called Mohammed bin Salman and the Arab-Islamic Conference was discussed during the conversation.
For this conference, the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries have arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Monday. On behalf of Iran, Vice President Mohammad Reza Arif has gone to Riyadh to participate in this conference.
The main priority of this conference is to stop the Israeli aggression in the territories of Palestine and Lebanon, to provide security to the common people and to put pressure on the international community to establish peace and stability in the region.
Improved relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Iran and Saudi Arabia, considered rivals of each other, have started to come closer since last year. China had mediated to improve relations between the two countries.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since 2016, when Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.
At the beginning of last October, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Riyadh and met with the Crown Prince.
Since then, relations between the two countries have slightly improved. Last October, the two countries also conducted joint military exercises.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense said that Saudi Arabia has conducted naval exercises with several countries in the Arabian Sea, including Iran.
However, at the same time, Iran's news agency ISNA reported that Iran's army is conducting joint military exercises with Russia and Oman in the northern Indian Ocean, which includes six other countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Iran's military commander, Admiral Shahram Irani, said that Saudi Arabia requested joint military exercises in the Red Sea, but no specific date was given for the military exercises.
The visit of a high-level Saudi military delegation to Iran comes at a time when Israel has made a new claim.
Israel says that a US-led coalition is being formed in the Red Sea for regional security, which will include Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Israeli reports on Sunday said the military cooperation in the Red Sea is aimed at protecting shipping, oil, gas and strategic assets from an Iranian threat.
The Israeli news website "Zamane Israel" said in its report that this "regional defense alliance" is being created to deal with the threats posed by Iran and its allies in Iraq and Yemen.
Keyvan Hussaini's analysis: 'Mohammed bin Salman is not interested in being recognized as a puppet of America and Israel'
With the rise of Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia in the last decade, relations between Riyadh and Tehran began to change. Despite having historical relations with the United States, the Saudi crown prince became the most important figure in the region who worked wholeheartedly on the issue of Iran.
Although Iran and Saudi Arabia came closer to each other in less than two years under the mediation of China, these negotiations and their results are not due to any alliance because the foreign policy of Tehran and Riyadh has not changed.
Saudi Arabia has traditionally been one of America's biggest allies in the Middle East. In his foreign policy, he tries his best not to question America's interests and demands.
Also, the history of regional competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran is longer than the history of the Islamic Republic.
Along with Israel's ongoing military advance in Lebanon, the killing of Palestinians in Gaza continues, and there is still no prospect of a ceasefire in the conflict.
During all this, the US presidential election has been won by a man who fully supports Israel and has promised a tough deal with Iran.
Many experts say that the return of Donald Trump to the White House means that the situation in the Middle East will become more tense.
But if these predictions prove correct, many countries in the region, especially countries like Saudi Arabia that have good and close relations with the United States, will have to make a difficult decision whether they should support Iran or this military. Should be neutral in stress?
But at a time when the anger against Israel in the Muslim world has reached its peak, in this situation countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are paying a heavy price for their 'neutrality' towards Iran and Israel. can fall
In his speech on Monday, Mohammed bin Salman showed that he is not interested in being recognized as the puppet king of the US and Israel. This position can not only have a positive impact on their position in the region, but is also important for Saudi Arabia's role in power relations in the region.
Instead of remaining silent and ignoring the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, Saudi Arabia has now come out openly against Israel, in favor of Iran.
Using careful words, Mohammed bin Salman addressed the 'international community' and practically chose the Western world as the real audience for his speech. This work is actually a continuation of his extensive campaign to rebuild the face of Saudi Arabia and redefine the country's position on the international stage, which was launched several years ago.
This speech makes it clear that Mohammed bin Salman is no longer looking for closeness to Israel or the US to balance against Iran.
On the contrary, this time they are worried about the rise of Israel's power: a process that is still ongoing and, if there is no major change, could increase Israel's dominance in the region.
Related Topics
#Saudi_Arabia #Iran #Palestinian_Territories #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #America
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