Saudi Arabia was left with no choice but to sever ties with Tehran following the burning of the Saudi Embassy in the Iranian capital.
That the GCC and the Arab world have not just offered support but have also moved to either break off ties or downgrade them is indicative of the collective will and togetherness that binds the region.
If diplomatic territory is allowed to be ransacked, then the point of having mutual diplomatic relations becomes moot. The region has been cautioning against the increasing interference in internal affairs of Gulf states leading to a level so unprecedented that it gives the peace loving nations no room for debate. Mutual respect goes missing.
The stakes have to be raised. A clear and unequivocal message has been sent to the Iranian government that the region’s solidarity is paramount and that even if the price is high it will be paid to maintain the sovereignty of every nation in the Middle East.
That this escalation has come against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Yemen and Syria and the increasing flow of displaced civilians facing a harsh winter only adds a social dimension to the political and military crises in a sectarian putsch that has Iran’s fingerprints on it. One can only express the hope that as Iran sees the Arab League come together as one in its meet later in the week to condemn Iran’s policies in the region, it reads the writing on the wall and reigns itself in.
The Middle East is not only rocked by multiple conflicts but also by the rising specter of terrorism and that entity plays no favorites. The number of splinter groups is increasing by the day and if countries like Iran fan the hostilities rather than influence peace they will not be excluded from the fallout.
Every nation has a commitment to create common defense against the scourge and this includes Iran. The other countries have never interfered in the internal affairs of Iran and they expect the same courtesy to the decisions made by their laws within their nation. Both overt and covert encouragement to create bad blood must be ended.
At this juncture since the unease between two powerful nations is not something the world wishes it would be prudent for both Washington and Moscow to get on the same page and use good offices to ensure security in the region and place pressure on Tehran to desist from fanning sectarian divisiveness.
