Saudi Regime Failed to Rally Allies' Support against Iran: Lebanese Analyst
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Lebanese political analyst said Saudi Arabia has failed to attract its allies' support against Iran because countries do not sacrifice their shared interests with the Islamic Republic for their ties with the Riyadh regime.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Talal Atrissi, a Lebanese university professor and Middle East expert, pointed to a recent move by a few countries which joined Saudi Arabia in severing or downgrading ties with Iran, saying that Riyadh failed to convince its main allies to make the same move.
“In my opinion, Saudi Arabia has failed to unite its allies against Iran,” he said, adding, “The decision (to cut off relations with Tehran) has marginalized the Saudis and they have been able to gain the support of only countries with little influence, including Bahrain, Djibouti and Sudan.”
The Lebanese analyst went on to say that this is while, other allies of the Al Saud, including Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have not severed ties with Iran.
Atrissi said most of Islamic and major countries see their interests in relations with Tehran and will definitely refuse to cut ties with the country.
The remarks came amid the recent tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia mainly caused by Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, and a subsequent attack by angry Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, which resulted in the Arab country’s decision to sever its ties with the Islamic Republic.
On January 2, Saudi Arabia announced that it has executed Sheikh Nimr, among dozens of others. The execution ignited widespread international condemnation, from both political and religious figures.
On January 3, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the execution of Sheikh Nimr.
Although Iranian officials criticized the embassy attack and police arrested dozens involved, Saudi Arabia on Sunday cut off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.
Speaking on Iranian state television, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in Tehran's first response that by cutting diplomatic ties, Riyadh could not cover up "its major mistake of executing Sheikh Nimr".