– Advertisement –
homeland- In light of the recent diplomatic developments in the Middle East, “Saudi Arabia appears to be more popular in the region,” after it made initiatives to improve its relations with Iran and Syria, which had been tense for many years.
However, “this happened as a result of the happy coincidence that the Saudis experienced, and it was not the result of unique wisdom or a certain political insight,” says a report by the American magazine “Foreign Policy.”
The “coincidence” made Saudi Arabia a player in the region
Recently, Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah, in which Egypt, Jordan and Iraq participated, to discuss ways to support Syria’s return to the Arab League, and to end the Syrian crisis with a comprehensive political solution.
Saudi Arabia also received an Iranian delegation to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic missions between the two countries, and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad, on a visit that is the first of its kind since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that these steps aim to achieve national reconciliation in Syria, and contribute to the return of Syria to its Arab surroundings and the resumption of its natural role in the Arab world.
Over the past year, according to the latest report by the American magazine “Foreign Policy”, Saudi officials and their spokespeople have been telling anyone who wants to listen to them that their country is the center of the global economy, a geopolitical and dynamic force, and an undisputed leader in the Middle East.
The response within the US foreign policy community, and especially among analysts specializing in Middle East affairs, was one of disbelief and astonishment.
-To be sure, the Saudis are now awash in oil revenues and have become an important source of investment for the global business community.
-Throughout 2022, world leaders made their way to the door of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, looking for everything from arms contracts and currency swaps to increased oil production. , according to the same source.
They were in the right place at the right time, benefiting from the end of post-Covid-19 lockdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent cascading shocks to global energy markets.
Getting out of the “Yemen dilemma” by presenting Syria and Lebanon to Iran
Foreign Policy says that Saudi bragging seems misplaced. The Saudis, unable to extricate themselves from their corrupt adventure in Yemen, have sought help from Tehran at the price of Lebanon and Syria, and the Iranians are now free to consolidate their already considerable influence in both countries.
Strangely, against this background of luck and failure, Saudi Arabia appears to be on the rise, especially in the Middle East. In fact, if there is a country that has failed but is on the rise in recent times, it is Saudi Arabia, the report says.
A recent Gallup poll of people in thirteen Muslim-majority countries showed that Saudi Arabia was more popular than Iran. The Turks, for example, and to a lesser extent the Palestinians, scored more toward Iran, although even among these two groups, the Saudis were more popular than the Iranians.
Of course, it’s hard not to believe that Gallup is unfair.
In the Middle East, Iran is a low standard compared to most countries with few exceptions. It harbors hegemonic ambitions in its region and is responsible for a great deal of bloodshed whether in Syria, Iraq or Yemen.
