Saudi Arabia Warns Against Iran's Nuke Program

Saudi Arabia Warns Against Iran's Nuclear Programme -- Zee News

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia on Saturday warned of the lurking danger of the Iranian nuclear programme to the region's security, saying that Tehran should not threaten its neighbours, who harbour no ill-intentions for it.

"We stress the danger of the Iranian nuclear programme to the security of the whole region," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said at a joint news conference with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

To a question on Iran's alleged threat to Bahrain, the Saudi Minister said,"It is very unfortunate for Iran to use" such a language.

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Update: Saudi Arabia warns against Iran's nuclear program -- AP

My Comment: This does not help in lessening the tensions between the two countries.

The Conflict Between Saudi Arabia And Iran

Saudi Struggle vs. Iran Looks Likely to Get Worse -- CNBC

Saudi Arabia has gone on the offensive against Iran to protect its interests. Its involvement in Syria is the first battle in what is going to be a long conflict that will know no frontiers nor limits.

Ongoing disorders in the island kingdom of Bahrain since February 2011 set off alarm bells in Riyadh. The Saudis are convinced that Iran is directing the protests and fear that the problems will spill over the 25-kilometer long COSWAY into oil rich Al-Qatif, where the bulk of the Saudi Arabia's Shia are concentrated. So far, the Saudis have not had to deal with demonstrations as serious as those in Bahrain, but success there could encourage the protestors to become more violent.

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My Comment: It all comes down to religion, and this religious conflict has been ongoing for 1200 years.

A Saudi-Iranian Cold War

A Saudi-Iranian Cold War Takes Shape -- Rami G. Khouri, The Daily Star

The Middle East continues to experience one of its most tumultuous moments of structural change in several generations, and countries are reconfiguring both their domestic power structures as well as their intra-regional relations.

In this context, we can expect much of the diplomatic maneuvering in the region to revolve around the axes of two major ideological confrontations. The first is the Arab-Israeli conflict, the second the invigorated Saudi-Iranian confrontation. It remains unclear if the national interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran are genuinely threatened by the other side, or whether we are simply in a situation where mediocre leaderships are using the exaggerated threat of the other, coupled with their own sense of vulnerability, to turn a local feud into a major cause of region-wide tension and proxy warfare.

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My Comment: The Sunni - Shiite divide has been a source of conflict that goes back centuries .... and it will not change in this century. As for my take .... I am very happy to see a cold war than a hot war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.

Is Saudi Arabia And Iran Entering A Period Of Confrontation

Bearbaiting Iran -- Hossein Askari, The National Interest

Throughout the years, Saudi decision-making has been characterized by three fundamental principles—discretion, caution and cash. But last month, by deploying troops to Bahrain and lecturing Iran, the al-Sauds acted out of character. They sent an unintended invitation to Iran to intervene around the Persian Gulf, an invitation that Iran cannot refuse and one that might be the seed for the downfall of the al-Sauds and other GCC monarchies.

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More News On The Saudi Arabia/Iran Divide

Iran MP calls for pilgrim boycott against S.Arabia -- Reuters
Uprisings in Bahrain Ratchet Up Tension With Iran -- Voice of America
Saudi cleric attacks Iranian "hypocrisy and deception" -- Reuters
Arab uprisings scramble regional power structure of Saudi Arabia, Iran -- Globe And Mail
Saudi Arabia Vs. Iran: The New Cold War -- Business Insider

My Comment: I guess this is why Saudi Arabia is on a massive weapons acquisition program.