In the post-Trump world, countries are realigning fast, leaving America behind. The alliances being formed for expedience and mutual convenience are not in American interests, or for that matter, in the interests of the West (or Israel). Speculation has vanished about any possibility of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. Not that it was a practical idea to begin with, given that Saudi Arabia is still dominated by Wahhabism. But a limited relationship would have sufficed, based on facing the common enemy of Iran. But now comes the news that Saudi Arabia is seeking to defuse tensions with Iran, and is on the brink of normalizing relations with Syria as a step toward that goal.
Who would have thought that Saudi Arabia would be pursuing Iran? Meanwhile, Biden continues to be the global pushover. Iran is rapidly growing in strength, between a disastrous nuke deal that Biden’s administration continues to pursue, and now with a possible rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. Talks were held between Iran and Saudi Arabia in May in efforts to reduce tensions.
“‘Times have changed’: Saudi Arabia-Syria in rapprochement talks,” by Matthew Ayton, Al Jazeera, June 8, 2021:
Saudi Arabia is close to reaching an agreement on diplomatic normalisation with President Bashar al-Assad’s government, as Riyadh jockeys to play a lead role in removing the Iranian presence from Syria, Al Jazeera has been told by those with close knowledge of the discussions.
According to a senior official from the Syrian opposition Free Officer’s Movement, who maintains close contacts within the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and General Intelligence Directorate (GID), “the political mood within the House of Saud has changed, many senior royals, particularly Mohammad bin Salman [MBS] himself, are keen to reengage with Assad”.
“The prevailing attitude can be defined as, ‘times have changed, the Arab Spring is history and the region is transitioning towards a new future, with new geopolitical characteristics,’” the official, who himself recently reconciled with Damascus after defecting to the Syrian opposition in the summer of 2011, added.
The discussion with Al Jazeera came on the heels of a report in early May, which claimed Riyadh had dispatched an intelligence delegation led by GID Director General Khalid Humaidan to Damascus to engage in discussions on the possibility of detente between the two erstwhile foes. Also in May, Syria dispatched its first ministerial delegation in 10 years to Riyadh, led by the Minister of Tourism Rami Martini.
From the Syrian conflict’s earliest days, Saudi Arabia had been a key player in supporting the proxy war aimed at toppling al-Assad. Riyadh supplied an array of local rebel groups with finances and weaponry, including US-made anti-tank missiles, as part of the effort. The campaign faltered following larger counter-interventions by al-Assad’s chief foreign patrons, Russia and Iran.
However, Saudi Arabia now appears to view the corridors of power in Damascus as an expedient avenue for shoring up its broader regional interests.
‘Defuse Iran tensions’
According to a Damascus-based official from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was privy to the recent talks with Riyadh, “MBS is engaged in efforts to defuse tensions with The Islamic Republic of Iran by engaging with Syria.”According to the official, “MBS instructed his team to reassure Syria that he does not want regime change against Bashar, and that Syria, as a brotherly Arab nation, should naturally be close to Saudi Arabia”.
The official claimed this was “clearly also intended as a signal” to the Iranian leadership that Riyadh “recognises that the side of the war in which … [Iran] most heavily invested won, and that it will not try to challenge that reality”.
The official, while refusing to confirm, also alluded to the possibility of an Iranian presence at the Damascus meeting, saying, “let’s just say the Iranians were immediately very welcoming to what they heard”.
Both sources spoke with Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity over the issue.
In May, Iraqi President Barham Salih confirmed reports from April that said Saudi Arabia and Iran held bilateral talks in Baghdad in a bid to soothe simmering tensions. Allegedly, those discussions focused largely, although not exclusively, on resolving the war in Yemen, where the Royal Saudi Air Force has been engaged in an air campaign since mid-2015 against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels….
gregbeetham says
Hmm Syria is a ‘brotherly’ Arab nation and should be close, well ok, but how come no Arab refugees fleeing the civil war were able to go to Saudi Arabia, if they were so brotherly. Not only were they Arab they were also Sunni Muslim like Saudi Arabia is but the Saudis didn’t want them.
It still might be ok for Israel though, Saudi Arabia might tend to pacify and keep the lid on the more extreme ideas coming out of Iran.
Infidel says
I doubt that any Saudi overtures to Syria is at all related to what they think about Iran. The reason for their Syria overtures is Turkey. During the Trump administration, as their backed guerrillas in Syria got crushed by the Russians, Syrians and Hizbullah, the Saudis and Emiratis saw the writing on the wall and stopped their regime change project. Later, when the Turks started horning into Idlib, the Saudis saw Turkey as trying to take advantage of that civil war to start rebuilding the Ottoman empire. At this point, it looks like the Gulf countries decided that an Arab if Alawite Syria was preferable to a Sunni but Turkish Syria, and so they decided to mend relations
Egypt already supported Assad during that civil war, since Assad’s enemies were the muslim brotherhood, and the Emirates too was sending out feelers. So it was a matter of time before more Arabs came to the same conclusion, and that’s what I think we are seeing now. While Syria had been suspended from both the OIC and the Arab League when the war started, I think they may be well on their way to being accepted back into the Arab League, where Iran and Turkey don’t have a veto. Point being that all Arab countries that are hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood, be it Egypt, Emirates, Algeria and Bahrein are fine w/ restoring Syria’s membership
The issue that the Saudis have is that while Syria is hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is good, they are also close to Iran, which is bad. However, Israel has blown up all Iranian bases in Syria, so that may ultimately leave Assad w/ little choice but to cozy back up w/ his Arab pals. One price that he can exact – get assurances from all these countries that they will not support any sunni insurrections against him like they did last decade, regardless of what they might think about the islamic legitimacy of the Alawites
As for the Saudis and Israel, I think that given Biden’s opposition to Israel and the fact that Netanyahu is on his way out, MbS may have decided to let his father’s policies on Israel prevail for now, until 2024, while he himself focuses on internal reforms
As for the Saudis and Iran, they’d first have to verify whether Iran still has its Khomeneist dreams of pillaging Medina and destroying the tombs of the first 3 caliphs. There is also the issue of Saudi’s shi’a population, and whether Iran continues to make them a 5th column within their country. Although given the reforms that the Saudis are doing, they’d do well to make peace w/ their own shi’a so that they are not enticed by Iran
gravenimage says
Saudi Arabia aims to reduce tensions with Iran, moves to normalize relationship with Syria
……………….
I don’t trust any of this stuff.
libertyORdeath says
What a goddamn shame. Trump had them on the hook for the Abraham accords and now they along with many others are doing a complete 180.
Not surprising that even Obama and his minions know how disastrous Biden is when allowed to meddle in foreign policy.
I want to see a Republican congress impeach his ass for financing terrorism. We better start moving soon, especially on deportations and blocking more terrorists and economic migrants before its too late. No more RINOs, America first means enforcing our immigration laws.
Infidel says
Can’t happen before the next elections: first, we need to primary all the RINOs. Right now, if we try to impeach, every Dem, and the RINOs will vote no!