Tehran-Riyadh rapprochement and regional realities

TEHRAN,July 6(MNA)--Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have not been so warm over the past two years because of the crisis in Syria, are expected to return to normal in the near future. Recent developments in the Middle East, such as the change in the situation in Syria and Lebanon as well as the results of the presidential election in Iran, seem to have finally persuaded Saudi Arabia to revise its policies and approach Tehran in order to make a deal to prevent any further losses in regard to Syria. The Syrian military’s recapture of the strategic city of al-Qusayr was a major defeat for the rebels backed by the Saudis. Syria’s main ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, also managed to neutralize plots in the city of Sidon, where anti-resistance elements were trying to destabilize the region. This compelled the Saudi-backed Lebanese opposition to back down from their former stance, which had called for the establishment of a government in Lebanon without the participation of Hezbollah, and consolidated the position of the resistance in Lebanon’s political structure. The Saudis have realized that the situation has not gone according to their plan, and thus, to rectify the situation, they have reportedly contacted Syrian officials and said they are ready to start talks with Damascus. This means that Riyadh has acknowledged the failure of its hawkish policy toward Syria and is now looking for a way to regain its former position in the region. However, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal gave no sign of this policy shift when he accused Iran and Hezbollah of playing a role in the crisis in Syria during his recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The accession to power of a new emir in Qatar has provided the Saudis another opportunity to finally revise their approach to regional developments. Meanwhile, Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani has declared that he is interested in expanding ties with the Arab world, and this move would have to include Saudi Arabia. Recent developments in Lebanon and Syria make it even more necessary than before that Tehran and Riyadh strike a deal. Thus, hopefully the two countries will finally set aside their differences and thaw out the quasi-frozen state of diplomatic cooperation in order to improve the regional security situation. Hamidreza Qomi is a political analyst who formerly served as Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Beirut. (By Hamidreza Qomi )