Dr Saad bin Tiflah Al
Iran sent an envoy to Kuwait a couple of weeks ago asking the Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, to mediate between the two sides of the Arabian Gulf; Iran and the GCC countries. The Iranian intent was leaked through local press, but was articulately revealed by the Bahraini foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifah in an interview on Al Arabiya news channel.
Iran’s mission to reconcile with its Arab neighbouring states is met with scepticism and doubt on the Arabic side of the Gulf. The reasons are numerous: Iran continues interfering in Arab affairs in Iraq and Syria militarily and Lebanon and Yemen through its proxy armies of Hezbollah and Ansarullah respectively. It is interfering in Bahraini matters, and calls for the annexation of the Kingdom continue echoing from Tehran every now and then. Iran’s fiery language of exporting its “Islamic” revolution to the rest of the world is still the theme of its political discourse.
Iran has not decided whether it is a “revolution or a state” as put by the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir. Last January, Iranian intelligence (ittilaa’aat) and “revolutionaries” of both the Pasij and the Paasdaraan staged demonstrations attacking and ransacking the Saudi embassy in Tehran, thus violating international law and yielded world condemnation.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Tehran and cut all kinds of cooperation with it. Bahrain, Sudan, and Djibouti were among other countries that followed suit. The United Arab Emirates downgraded its diplomatic representation in Tehran, and Qatar and Kuwait called in their ambassadors for consultation. It is important to note that Egypt, the largest Arab country, cut its diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, and the situation still remains the same today.
Iran’s policies of interference and belligerence remain the same. There were spills of calm between the two sides of the Gulf during Khatemi’s presidency, but the Iranian strategic objectives- of ambitious regional hegemony and dominance, are still continuing with earnest, since its revolution in 1979.
Iranian officials are known to be the most humble and eloquent speakers who preach about Islamic solidarity and brethren, and co-existence amongst all Muslim nations, especially when the officials are not speaking to their domestic audience. Yet, Iran must realize that they cannot merely sweet talk their way back into regional acceptance and must match words with deeds. As the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel Al Jubeir said put it: “Iran must change its behaviour”.
So much for behavioural change! This week, and just a few days before the optimistically anticipated Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, the American navy announced the seizure of an Iranian vessel in the Arabian Sea, loaded with weapons bound to the Houthis in Yemen! The shipment is meant to strengthen its cronies’ resolve, the Houthis. Last Monday, Iran said it will send more special combatants of the revolutionary guards to Syria as “advisors”. In so doing, it is inflaming the already catastrophic conflict in Syria and sabotaging endeavours of a real truce negotiated by the UN envoy Stephan De Mistura.
The Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, reiterated the stance of Iran as a revolution not a state. In response to Rafsanjani’s call for negotiations rather than missiles as a means of solving Iran’s problems, Khamenei said: “those who say the future is in negotiations, not in missiles, are either ignorant or traitors”. That says it all!
When asked once by a journalist whether he considers Iran a friendly country or an enemy, a veteran Arab Gulf diplomat answered that “Iran is not and can never be an enemy”. “Nevertheless”, he added, “surely in Iran, there are foes for us and for regional stability, peace and co-existence. The problem is that they insist on clinging to their animosity and harassment, thinking that they will stay in power forever”.
For Iran’s envoys to the Arabian Gulf to rectify its reputation and position in relation to the other Arab and Muslim countries, after its reckless behaviour in the region, “it need to practice what it preaches”. This message was communicated to the “wise’ in Tehran by some Gulf officials to the Iranian envoy. Will they act accordingly? Or, rather, can they?
