Is The Obama Administration Favouring Iran Over Saudi Arabia?

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).

After Severing Diplomatic Relations With Iran, Saudi Arabia "Does Not Care" If It Has Angered White House

Zero Hedge: It's On: Saudi Arabia Severs Diplomatic Ties With Iran, "Does Not Care" If It Has Angered White House

Earlier today, as Iranian police struggled to disperse protesters gathered outside the Saudi consulate in Mashhad, we said the following about the rapidly deteriorating situation:

If crude needed an excuse to rally, then surely this is it as it now appears that in addition to the fact that Riyadh and Tehran are squaring off in Syria (where Iran is present and the Saudis fight by proxy) and Yemen (where the Saudis are present and the Iranians fight by proxy), the two countries are on the verge of a historic diplomatic crisis which has the potential to stoke sectarian violence across the Muslim world.

Well sure enough, just hours later, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Ahmad Al-Jubeir announced that Riyadh has cut diplomatic ties with Tehran. The Saudis have demanded the Iran mission leave the country within 48 hours.

Jubeir said the attack in Tehran was in line with what he said were earlier Iranian assaults on foreign embassies there and with Iranian policies of destabilizing the region by creating "terrorist cells" in Saudi Arabia.

Update #1: Saudi Arabia "Doesn't Care" If White House Angered As US Urges 'Ally' To Ease Tensions (Zero Hedge)
Update #2: U.S. tries to calm Saudi-Iranian tensions (Politico)

WNU Editor: I thought that I would never see the day when U.S. - Saudi relations would hit this low .... but it has. This is going to get worse .... especially in the next few weeks/months .... and my  prediction is that we will soon be seeing a dramatic escalation in the proxy wars that are now gripping the region. To put it bluntly .... the Sunni - Shiite sectarian conflict is now on the verge of  exploding into a religious conflict of the like that we have not seen in centuries.

Update: What is also distressing is that there is no mediator and/or neutral party that can get involved to lessen tensions and animosities. Saudi Arabia and Iran do not trust the U.S. and the West, and even Turkey has taken sides that discounts it as a mediator.