Since 1929,Riyadh and Tehran contain severed relations three times, only to recognise that their ties needed to be repairedI am not surprised that Tehran has been somewhat paralysed over Riyadh’s decision to wreck off ties after an Iranian mob attacked the Saudi embassy following the execution of the leading Saudi Shia cleric, and Nimr Baghir al-Nimr,on 2 January. Since President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in August 2013, he has failed to formulate responses to Saudi policies challenging Iran, and so prompting criticism from hardliners that his lack of leadership fans Riyadh’s intransigence.
The failure is clear in statements issued by Rouhani’s aides since Riyadh severed ties and other Gulf Arab states downgraded relations. Mohammad Javad Zarif,Iran’s foreign minister, has spent the better half of his time talking to western counterparts rather than trying with Iran’s Arab neighbours to find a way to reduce tensions with Riyadh. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com