Saudi Arabia's Strategy Towards Iran Shows Differentiation: Privately Urging US for Tough Stance, Publicly Avoiding Direct Engagement

According to reports from The New York Times, during the current US-Iran conflict, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged US President Donald Trump multiple times in private to continue strong strikes against Iran. This stance is seen as a continuation of the strategy proposed by the late Saudi King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to cut off the head of the snake in dealing with Iran.

However, at the public level, Gulf countries as a whole remain cautious. During recent talks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Salman stated that Iran's attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council countries pose a serious threat to regional security, but the GCC countries will prioritize maintaining regional stability.

Despite the conflict lasting for about two weeks and Iran launching over 2,000 missiles and drones towards the Gulf region, Gulf countries have not planned for a retaliatory strike against Iran. Multiple sources indicate that countries are concerned that direct engagement could lead to larger scale retaliation and have uncertain impacts on the post-war regional landscape.

Analysts believe that the current strategy adopted by Gulf countries involves supporting the containment of Iran's influence on one hand, while trying to avoid direct involvement in the war on the other, showcasing the complex dynamics in the current Middle East situation.

Related Articles