Analysis: Saudi patience is wearing thin

Dubai: The shocking attacks and ransacking of Saudi Arabian diplomatic missions in Tehran and the eastern Iranian city of Mashad — combined with Iran’s inability to control the mobs — have left the government in Riyadh with no other option than to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, Saudi analysts said.

“Saudi Arabia has taken the step as a last resort, because what happened in Iran was totally against all international conventions,” said Khaled Al Maeena, a Saudi media and political analyst.

“Secondly, Saudi patience regarding these actions became very thin,” he told Gulf News. “You can’t go and burn an embassy and a consulate without getting at least indirect support from the authorities. I think this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Riyadh announced late on Sunday that it is cutting diplomatic relations with Tehran hours after Iranian attackers stormed the Saudi diplomatic missions. The mob attacks came in response to Riyadh’s execution of 47 terrorists, among which was a Shiite cleric. He and most of the executed were Saudi citizens.

Iran and its allies have warned the kingdom of the “consequences” of the execution.

“When you see Iranian threats coming from the Revolutionary Guards, which is an official institution, you should take these threats into account,” said Abdul Aziz Al Saqr, chairman of the Gulf Research Centre.

And he added that the threats and inaction of Iranian authorities “proved that the decision to sever relations was a right one.”

He said Iran’s failure to protect Saudi diplomatic missions “shows that the Iranian government is accepting and approving such a move,” adding that Iranian reactions also sent “a bad signal to the whole region.”

Other Saudi analysts believe that Tehran has “exaggerated its response.”

“The problem is that Iran is acting without seeing that it contradicts itself,” said Hatoon Al Fasi, a prominent Saudi activist and columnist, referring to the high number of executions in Iran, including Sunnis convicted of terrorism.

Saudis have been expressing full support to the decision of their country to execute the 47 convicts and to end diplomatic relations with Iran, saying that they expected full resolve to confront attempts to erode the stability and security enjoyed by its citizens, residents and visitors.

For Abu Lujain Ebrahim Al Dahman, a columnist, the execution of the 47 convicts was a multifold strong message to all communities.

“The executions have surprised most observers because there was an idea that the convicts would be remanded in prison for a long time or even forgiven, particularly the leading figures,” he said.

“However, it became obvious that Saudi Arabia had four powerful messages to send out. The first is that there is no transnational allegiance affiliation within Saudi Arabia. This means that there is no room in Saudi Arabia for those who want to set up sectarian statelets under any religious or political guise,” he said.

The second message is that there can be no internal or external pressure on the Saudi state and that there is no special treatment for a group or a sect that rises above citizenship.

“Those who thought they enjoyed the support of outside force should be disillusioned because it will never be allowed and nor pressure will be accepted or tolerated,” he said.

Al Dahman said the third message was that Saudi Arabia could not be the background for armed movements that attempt to undermine stability.

“Saudi Arabia is well known for its resolve to confront any movement that resorts to brilliant slogans to achieve its aims. The state simply cannot appease anyone threatening to use force,” he wrote.

The fourth message is that Saudi Arabia would not stand idle and allow anyone to tamper with its present or future or influence its orientations, he said.

“Whoever thinks that they can coerce the state into any situation is bound to lose because there is no way they will have their way,” he said.