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By APD writer Wang Baocai
Saudi Crown Mohammed bin Salman has said the international community should exert more economic and military pressure on the regime in Tehran to prevent it from becoming a larger threat to the region.
He warned that a direct confrontation between Riyadh and Tehran looms in the next 10-15 years if Iran’s terror networks and proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis continue to sow discord in the Middle East through sectarianism.
Why does Saudi Arabiahate Iran?
Firstly, the two powers in the Middle East have been hostile to each other for a long time as they have been contending for hegemony in the region.
The concern over different religion factions emerged after the IranianRevolutionary in 1979 when theRuhollah Khomeinigovernment started to disseminate fundamentalism.
Since former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, Iran restarted its nuclear program. However, under the Iran deal that ensures Iran's nuclear program is and remains exclusively peaceful, many sanctions on the country were terminated. The easing of tensions between Iran and the West was deemed as a major threat by Saudi Arabia.
Secondly, although the weapons of Saudi-led military coalition are amongthe best in the world, their operational results in Yemen were dim.
TheHouthisgroup constantly launched missiles to Saudi Arabiaand Saudi Arabiaaccused Iran of supplying arms to the rebel group. The kingdom also wants to fight back, but it cannot find suitable targets in the Houthis-controlled areas in Yemen.
Thirdly, Saudi Arabiawants to get closer with Israel, which has been an Iranian enemy for many years. The ancient proverb, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” holds true here.
Saudi Arabia recently granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv. Lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban reflectedwhat appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.
Wang Baocai is an instructor of institute of Xi'an high & new tech. He has written about military equipment, operation, international relationship and geopolitics for multiple publications for many years.The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of APD.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
