Saudi Crown Prince: 'War With Iran Will Not Happen'

Prince Mohammed bin Salman © Muhammad Hamed / Reuters

Al Jazeera: Saudi prince: War with Iran not going to happen

Deputy crown prince tells British magazine an Iran-Saudi war would mean catastrophe for the conflict-wracked region.

Saudi Arabia does not foresee war with its arch foe Iran despite heightened tensions between the regional heavyweights, its deputy crown prince was quoted as saying.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran after an attack on its embassy in Tehran on Sunday following the kingdom's execution of Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr, who was put to death along with 46 mostly Sunni Muslims convicted on terrorism charges.

Asked about the possibility of war, Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Economist magazine: "It is something that we do not foresee at all, and whoever is pushing towards that is somebody who is not in their right mind.

WNU Editor: The Crown Prince made this comments when interviewed by The Economist .... Saudi Arabia: Young prince in a hurry (The Economist)

More News On Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Remarks That War With Iran Is Not Going To Happen

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says war with Iran 'will not happen' -- IBTimes
No war with Iran, says Saudi deputy crown prince -- Al Arabiya
Deputy crown prince says Saudis will not allow war with Iran -- Express Tribune/Reuters
All-out war with Iran won't happen – Saudi Defense Minister. -- RT
Saudi deputy crown prince: War with Iran not foreseen 'at all' -- Middle East Eye

Iran Severs All Commercial Ties With Saudi Arabia

Reuters: Iran stops doing business with Saudi Arabia as Nimr execution rankles

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia deteriorated even further on Thursday as Tehran severed all commercial ties with Riyadh and accused Saudi jets of attacking its embassy in Yemen's capital.

A row has been raging for days between Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and the conservative Sunni kingdom since Saudi Arabia executed cleric Nimr al-Nimr, an opponent of the ruling dynasty who demanded greater rights for the Shi'ite minority.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia have all broken off diplomatic ties with Iran this week, the United Arab Emirates downgraded its relations and Kuwait, Qatar and Comoros recalled their envoys after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was stormed by protesters following the execution of Nimr and 46 other men.

WNU Editor: These tensions are not going to be resolved any time soon .... and for those countries caught in the middle, a delicate balancing act .... Iraq in delicate balancing act amid Saudi-Iran feud (Washington Post).

Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia Of Bombing Its Embassy In Yemen

Reuters: Iran accuses Saudi warplanes of attacking its embassy in Yemen

Iran on Thursday said Saudi warplanes had attacked its embassy in Yemen's capital, a development that would exacerbate tensions between the major Shi'ite and Sunni powers in the region, and Riyadh said it would investigate the accusation.

"Saudi Arabia is responsible for the damage to the embassy building and the injury to some of its staff," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying by Iranian state television news channel IRIB.

Residents and witnesses in the capital Sanaa said there was no damage to the embassy building in Hadda district.

WNU Editor: AP is reporting that they saw no damage on the embassy. But considering how tense Saudi - Iranian relations are right now, this type of news will only inflame the deep differences between the two countries.

More News On Iranian Accusations That Saudi Arabia Bombed Its Embassy In Yemen

Iran Says Saudi Strike Hits Embassy in Yemen; No Damage Seen -- AP
Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia of Attacking Embassy in Yemen -- NYT
Iran accuses Saudis of hitting Yemen embassy -- BBC
Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of airstrikes on its embassy in Yemen -- The Guardian
Iran accuses Saudis of attacking Yemen embassy -- USA Today
Iran claims Saudi airstrikes on Yemen embassy amid deepening tensions -- Washington Post
Iran accuses Saudis of striking its Yemen embassy as tensions grow -- CNN
Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of Yemen embassy air strike -- Al Jazeera
Saudi warplanes attack Iranian embassy in Yemen – Iran -- RT

Who Would Win In A Saudi - Iran War?

Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller: Who Would Win In A Saudi Arabia vs. Iran Showdown?

With the growing tensions in the Persian Gulf after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was stormed and set on fire in the wake of Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shia cleric, Americans ought to take notice. Five of the top seven oil producing nations are in the region of the Persian Gulf. So, even though fracking has helped increase American oil reserves to a 42-year high, things could get rocky if Iran and Saudi Arabia go to war.

How bad could it get? Well, keep in mind, in the Iran-Iraq War back in the 1980s, oil tankers became targets. The United States Navy ended up escorting neutral tankers in the Persian Gulf, and two frigates, the Stark (FFG 31) and the Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) were damaged. American forces also got into a few engagements with the Iranians. So, what might happen if the Saudis and Iranians end up in a fight? It has happened before.

WNU Editor: Such a conflict would make all the proxy wars (Syria/Iraq/Yemen) secondary since the major powers in the region (i.e. Iran and Saudi Arabia) are now at war. And while the Saudis may end up owning the air .... and to a certain degree the Persian Gulf .... the prospect of hundreds of Iranian missiles being launched at Saudi Arabia's oil industry and infrastructure will only mean massive damage and economic hardship for years. The Saudis may win the battle, but the impact on its economy and on its people will be severe for years .... and pressure on the House of Saud to reform will only increase.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The Iran - Saudi Conflict: January 5, 2016

NPR: Saudi Arabia And Iran: Here's How Their Feud Could Escalate

In a Middle East already aflame, a fresh feud between Saudi Arabia and Iran threatens to complicate almost every major issue from the Iranian nuclear deal to the Syrian civil war to global oil markets.

These are all U.S. priorities, and the Obama administration finds itself staring at another Middle Eastern conundrum. White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Monday called on Iran and Saudi Arabia to exercise restraint and offered mild criticism of both.

His language pointed to the difficult position facing the administration. If the U.S. sides openly with its longtime ally Saudi Arabia, it will antagonize Iran, where President Obama has sought to move past decades of relentless hostility.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The Iran - Saudi Conflict: January 5, 2016

Here's Why Saudi Arabia and Iran Are at Each Other's Throats -- Geoffrey Smith, Fortune
Iran and Saudi Arabia's great rivalry explained -- Thom Poole, BBC
Saudi Arabia and Iran on the Brink -- Bloomberg editorial
How to ease Iran-Saudi Arabia crisis -- Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, CNN
5 reasons Saudi Arabia and Iran hate each other -- Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
Why Saudi Arabia and Iran May Be Seeking a New Crisis -- Fred Kaplan
A Look at the Troubled Relations Between Saudi Arabia, Iran -- AP
Iran and Saudi Arabia at loggerheads: How we got here -- Michael Pearson, CNN
Domestic Issues Fuel Saudi-Iranian Crisis -- Yaroslav Trofimov, WSJ
Saudi executions driven by fear of militancy, signal combative policy -- Angus McDowall, Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s Dangerous Sectarian Game -- Toby Craig Jones, NYT
The Saudi/Iran Break: Politics of Fear in the Gulf -- Richard LeBaron, Atlantic Council
BREMMER: 'Saudi Arabia is in serious trouble, and they know it' -- Natasha Bertrand, Business Insider
After years of proxy war, Saudi Arabia and Iran are finally squaring up in the open -- Simon Mabon, The Independent
Iran and Saudi Arabia Hate Each Other More Than They Hate ISIS -- Joshua Keating, Slate
Are Saudi Arabia and Iran Edging Toward War? -- Sputnik
Saudi Arabia sees 'no effect' from break with Iran on Syria, Yemen -- AFP
Analysis: Saudi Arabia, Iran and Middle East Brinksmanship -- Cmdr. Daniel Dolan, USN (Retired), USNI
Iran and Saudi Arabia: The Showdown Between Islam’s Rival Powers -- Robin Wright, New Yorker
Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Israeli angle -- Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post
A look at where countries stand in Saudi Arabia-Iran dispute -- AP
How the Shia-Sunni split in 632AD led to Iran and Saudi Arabia’s power games today -- Aamna Mohdin, Quartz
The cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran that's tearing apart the Middle East, explained -- Max Fisher, VOX
Everything You Need to Know About the Iran-Saudi Arabia Crisis: It could affect everything from the Syrian civil war to oil prices. -- Max J. Rosenthal, Mother Jones

Iran - Saudi Arabia Tensions Are Impacting The Entire Middle East -- News Roundup January 5, 2016

Bloomberg: Saudi Feud With Iran Risks Fueling Unrest Across Middle East

* Proxy wars between two rivals could escalate in Yemen, Syria
* Al-Nimr's execution expected to bring Saudi Shiites together

The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has certainly had more downs than ups, yet seldom have they come at a worse time for the region’s prospects.

The latest standoff, triggered by the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities over the weekend, risks erasing the scant progress that has been made to resolve the crises in Syria and Yemen, where the majority Sunni kingdom and mainly Shiite Iran support rival players. While analysts don’t see any imminent head-to-head military confrontation, they do expect the proxy war between them to escalate.

"We and the Iranians are like fire and dynamite in one room,” Jamal Khashoggi, a former media adviser to Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, said by phone. “It doesn’t matter who’s the dynamite and who’s the fire."

Here’s a look at how the current showdown could influence the region.

WNU Editor: Both sides are clearly hostile towards each other .... 7 remarkable insults in the Iran-Saudi Arabia war of words (Washington Post).

Iran - Saudi Arabia Tensions Are Impacting The Entire Middle East -- News Roundup January 5, 2016

Kuwait becomes latest Saudi ally to downgrade ties with Iran -- Washington Post
Kuwait Backs Saudi Arabia, Recalls Ambassador to Iran -- VOA
Kuwait Recalls Ambassador From Tehran as Iran-Saudi Tensions Spread -- WSJ
Iran-Saudi Arabia row: Kuwait recalls ambassador from Tehran -- BBC
Sunni allies join Saudi Arabia in severing diplomatic ties with Iran -- Guardian
Iran's Rouhani: Saudi Arabia can't cover up its 'great crime' of executing cleric -- CNN
Iranian Military Official Condemns Attacks on Saudi Embassy and Consulate -- NYT
Saudi - Iran tension pours fuel on Mideast tinderbox -- CBS
Iran-Saudi row threatens flailing effort to halt Syrian war -- CBS
Saudi Arabia-Iran feud jeopardizes U.S. efforts on ISIS, Syria -- CNN
The Saudi Arabia-Iran conflict could hurt Obama's efforts to end the Syrian civil war -- Reuters
Saudi Arabia-Iran Standoff Condemned, Saudi Envoy Says It Won’t Affect Syria, Yemen Peace Efforts -- IBTimes
US under pressure to assure Mideast allies amid Iran-Saudi dispute -- FOX News
GOP candidates side with Saudi Arabia over Iran in dispute -- Politico
China is worried about Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Reuters
Turkey Condemns Iranian Attacks on Saudi Diplomatic Missions -- WSJ
UN condemns attack on Saudi embassy in Iran -- BBC
'We are not natural-born enemies of Iran,' Saudi UN envoy says -- Reuters
European Sympathies Lean Toward Iran in Conflict With Saudi Arabia -- NYT
Escalating Feud Between Saudi Arabia, Iran Sparks Global Concern -- US News and World Report

Saudi Arabia Blames The U.S. For Why The Kingdom Is Now Facing Up To Iran

Iranian protesters chant slogans as they hold pictures of Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration against the execution of Nimr in Saudi Arabia, outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran January, 3, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/

Reuters: 'Enough is enough,' source familiar with Saudi thinking says

Saudi Arabia's position toward Iran is that "enough is enough," a source familiar with the Saudi government's thinking said on Sunday after protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran over the execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric and Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested the Saudi government was upset not merely with Iran but also with the United States for a perceived failure to respond to what Riyadh sees as Tehran's interference throughout the region.

The United States and five other powers struck an agreement with Iran on July 14 by which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Some Gulf Arab officials fear Washington may neglect their interests in the service of implementing the nuclear deal.

WNU Editor: Saudi Arabia's military intervention in the Yemen war over U.S. objections .... the U.S. signing a nuclear deal with Iran over Saudi objections .... it is becoming more and more clear to me that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are no longer on the same page on many issues.

Sunni States Follow Saudi Arabia's Lead In Breaking Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Reuters: Sunni states back Saudi Arabia in growing row with Iran

Saudi Arabia's Sunni allies rallied behind the kingdom on Monday and several joined Riyadh in severing or downgrading diplomatic relations with Tehran, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East.

Bahrain and Sudan cut all ties with Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to hundreds of thousands of Iranians, downgraded its relations. Saudi Arabia broke off relations on Sunday after a mob stormed its embassy in Tehran.

Shi'ite power Iran accused Saudi Arabia of using the attack on the embassy as an "excuse" to sever ties and further increase sectarian tensions, after Shi'ites across the world denounced Saudi Arabia's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

WNU Editor: Sunni Arab countries like Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, etc. are probably not going to sever their ties with Iran.

More News On Other Sunni States Breaking Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Bahrain, Sudan and United Arab Emirates Join Diplomatic Feud Against Iran -- NYT
Bahrain, Sudan cut ties with Tehran as crisis widens in Saudi-Iran split -- Washington Post
Saudi Allies Scale Back Ties With Iran as Tensions Soar -- AP
Bahrain, Sudan, UAE follow Saudis diplomatic ties with Iran -- Newsweek
Saudi Arabia's allies scale back ties to Iran amid tensions over embassy attack, cleric's execution -- FOX News
Bahrain and Sudan sever diplomatic ties with Iran -- USA Today
Iran-Saudi crisis deepens as diplomatic ties cut -- AFP
Bahrain cuts diplomatic ties with Iran -- Al Jazeera
Factbox - Troubled history of Iran-Saudi relations -- Reuters

Saudi Arabia Severs Diplomatic Ties With Iran

New York Times: Saudi Arabia Cuts Ties With Iran Amid Fallout From Cleric’s Execution

BAGHDAD — Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday and gave Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the kingdom, intensifying a strategic and sectarian rivalry that underpins conflicts across the Middle East.

The surprise move, announced in a news conference by Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, followed harsh criticism by Iranian leaders of the execution of an outspoken Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, in Saudi Arabia and the storming of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran by protesters in response.

The cutting of diplomatic ties came as the United States and other countries were hoping that even limited cooperation between the two powers could help end the crushing civil wars in Syria and Yemen and ease tensions in Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon and elsewhere.

Instead, analysts feared it would increase sectarian divisions and investment in proxy battles.

More News On Saudi Arabia Severing Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran as row over cleric's death escalates -- Reuters
Saudi Arabia breaks off ties with Iran after al-Nimr execution -- BBC
Saudi Arabia announces it is severing ties with Iran -- AP
Saudi severs ties with Iran after embassy attacked -- AFP
Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran as Mideast protests rage -- CNN
Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran over reaction to execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr -- ABC News Australia
Saudi Arabia Cuts Ties With Iran After Tehran Embassy Attack -- Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Iran as Tensions Escalate -- VOA
Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran after Nimr execution -- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran, foreign minister says -- FOX News
Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran -- USA Today
Saudi Arabia cuts off relations with Iran, recalls diplomats in dispute over execution -- L.A. Times
Saudi Arabia is severing diplomatic ties with Iran -- Business Insider
Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran over embassy storming -- RT
Saudi Arabia Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations With Iran -- Sputnik
Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran -- Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia severs Iran ties -- Arab News
Saudi Arabia Cuts Ties With Iran as Fallout From Mass Execution Continues -- VICE News