Ali Shihabi

Many Western commentators, unable to resist a complicated explanation for a simple problem, have offered a whole menu of theories for the recent Saudi-Emirati tensions. Some make for a neat story. Most miss the point.

As Iran and Israel enter an era of direct confrontation, a lot of attention is now being paid to the position of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Cooperation Council states, particularly to where they stand on this crisis and how they will behave if it escalates, as it may.