Davos: Despite the many opportunities created by the new global sensitivities of the Rouhani presidency in Iran, a real stumbling block exists in Iran’s lack of connection with Saudi Arabia, and this will have serious consequences in the Middle East, according to Mahmoud Sariolghalam, Professor of International Relations at the National University of Iran
He argued that the dispute between the two regional powers was nothing to do with religion or sectarian differences, but is about regional supremacy. The danger is that neither country has a national consensus about the other, and there is a serious lack of connection and no desire to compromise. Yet the current isolationism is not an option, according to Sariolghalam, who argued strongly that engagement between the two was vital since no Middle East issue could be solved without the two at least working together.
Sariolghalam insisted that no solution in Syria would be possible without Saudi Arabia and Iran having some understanding, and he took the same logic to apply to finding a settlement in Iraq, Lebanon and even Palestine. He also added that it will have an impact on the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1, although other analysts disagreed and argued that those talks could come to some resolution without Saudi agreement.
