U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama are greeted upon their arrival on Marine One for a meeting with Saudi King Abdullah at Rawdat al-Khraim (Desert Camp) near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, March 28, 2014. REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE
Josh Rogin and Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Obama’s Middle East Balancing Act Tilts Toward Iran
As the cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia heats up, the Barack Obama administration is trying to straddle the fence and not take sides, but its actions tell a different story -- they all seem to favor Tehran.
Following the Saudi government’s announcement Saturday that it had executed 47 prisoners, including a popular Shiite cleric, the U.S. State Department did two things. First, it issued a statement expressing concern that Riyadh’s actions were “exacerbating sectarian tensions.” Then Secretary of State John Kerry called Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, urging him to try to de-escalate the crisis.
Spokesmen for the White House and State Department on Monday insisted that the U.S. was not taking a side, and that Kerry was set to call Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. But U.S. and Arab diplomats tell us that America's Gulf allies, who feel most threatened by Iran, see things very differently.
WNU Editor: Of the two countries .... for better or worst .... Saudi Arabia is the country that the U.S. must deal with when it comes to energy supplies and national security. This U.S. - Saudi relationship may be on hiatus right now, but I am willing to bet that it will change back to normal when the next President is sworn in .... regardless of who wins. But it is true that the Obama administration has given the impression (by words and by deeds) of reaching out to Iran .... unfortunately .... my gut is telling me that the Iranian leadership does not care .... Khamenei says US faces 'punch in mouth' in upcoming Iran elections (AFP).
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