Possibility of Growing Tension between Iran, Saudi Arabia

-The changes made in the Saudi ruling structure are indicative of the existence of rifts and differences in the al-Saud regime particularly after this country’s air strikes against Yemen.

-Following the Saudi attack, differences appeared at the highest levels of the Saudi government. Prince Talal bin-Abdulaziz criticized Pakistan and Egypt after Saudi Arabia’s attack against Yemen and called Salman unable to run the country.

-These criticisms and the rift that was created in the al-Saud ruling structure, on one hand, and also the mismanagement of crisis through political and diplomatic channels, on the other, have caused Saudi Arabia to not only achieve anything from this attack but also to be isolated and lose its status among the Arab states.

-On this basis, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, who assumes that failure in the strikes against Yemen is caused by internal differences, has decided to dismiss his opponents.

-Adel al-Jubeir, who lived in the US for many years, is very close to the West particularly the US and has more radical views than Saud al-Faisal with regard to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

-Therefore, it does not seem that new developments would be seen in Tehran-Riyadh relations. Considering al-Jubeir’s positions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the tension in the positions of both countries will probably grow.

-Nonetheless, the Islamic Republic of Iran will attempt to use the new structure in the al-Saud regime to improve its relations with Saudi Arabia. But the message of the new appointments is that Saudi Arabia does not intend to resolve its problems with Iran and establish balanced relations.