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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 8 november 2017

Saudis’ bolder moves to confront Iran echo across region

By AYA BATRAWY an act of war.” The missile fecting different countries risk huge destabilization in Lebanon, and nothing will
LEE KEATH was intercepted by air de- of the Middle East: the Gulf and beyond, dis- shake that anytime soon.
Associated Press fenses, but it was the deep- rupting oil shipments vital No Sunni militia or political
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- group has the same clout,
ates (AP) — Saudi Arabia and few Sunnis want to risk
is more aggressively con- a destabilizing fight with
fronting its rival Iran on mul- Hezbollah. The Saudi inter-
tiple fronts. It’s a policy that vention only made many
risks sharpening several Lebanese, including some
conflicts in the Middle East, Hariri supporters, resent
even though so far it has the kingdom, fearing it will
failed to score any success- upset the delicate power-
es in stemming Tehran’s in- sharing structure among
fluence. Lebanon’s Shiites, Sunnis,
The bolder steps are large- Christians and other com-
ly seen as the work of the munities. The country will
son of King Salman, Crown probably be stuck without
Prince Mohammed bin an effective government
Salman, who has consoli- — or a weak, provisional
dated his power. Under his one. The fear is that Saudi
leadership, the kingdom Arabia will push the situa-
has shown a readiness tion further somehow to try
to shake up the region, to set back Hezbollah. That
launching a military cam- could potentially destabi-
paign in Yemen against lize Lebanon, which saw
rebels its sees as Iranian Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, meets with now-former Lebanese Prime bloody clashes between
proxies and sparking a Minister Saad Hariri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The abrupt resignation of Hariri was bizarre even by the guerrilla force and Sun-
confrontation with Qatar in the often twisted standards of Lebanese politics: Saad Hariri made the announcement from the ni rivals in the mid-2000s.
part over ties with Tehran. Saudi capital in a pre-recorded message on a Saudi-owned station. (Dalati Nohra via AP) Prominent Saudi minister
Still, Iran has been able to Thamer al-Sabhan was
use wars in Iraq and Syria to est rebel strike in Saudi ter- DIRECT CONFRONTATION to Saudi Arabia and its al- quoted as blaming Iran
build a bridge of alliances ritory since the Yemen war WITH IRAN? lies. The kingdom is unlikely for the instability and say-
stretching from its border to began in 2015. Though Saudi Arabia said to act without a green light ing the kingdom will now
the Mediterranean. — Saudi Arabia seems to it reserved the right to re- from Washington, where treat Lebanon “as a gov-
The question is whether the have acted to wreck Leba- spond over the Yemeni mis- the policy has been to ernment declaring war on
Saudis will push even hard- non’s government that in- sile, it is unlikely to take di- avoid direct confrontation Saudi Arabia due to the
er against Iran — and what cludes Iran’s powerful ally, rect military action against with Iran. aggression of Hezbollah.”
will happen if they do. So Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Iran. The kingdom’s military
far, the kingdom’s policies Minister Saad Hariri, a Saudi is already tied down in the LEBANON YEMEN
appear to have the full sup- ally, announced his surprise Yemen war, with its war- Hariri’s resignation was The war in the impover-
port of U.S. President Don- resignation in Riyadh, be- planes leading the air cam- widely seen as a Saudi ished nation on Saudi Ara-
ald Trump. lieved to be at the Saudis’ paign there and troops on move against Hezbollah, bia’s southern border has
The past weekend saw prompting. the border. Iran’s military the Shiite political group been a quagmire for the
dramatic developments — Crown Prince Moham- is larger and more battle- and guerrilla force that is kingdom. In 2015, a coali-
connected to the kingdom med appeared to strength- hardened than Saudi Ara- Iran’s powerful arm in Leb- tion of Saudi Arabia, the
that intensified regional en his power at home. bia’s, but the kingdom has anon and Syria. UAE and other allies be-
tensions: There were a series of ar- far more advanced weap- In doing so, the Saudis gan a campaign against
— Yemeni rebels fired a rests of princes and senior onry bought from the U.S. demonstrated an ability to the Shiite rebels known as
missile targeting the inter- figures in what was billed and Europe in the past de- sabotage Lebanese poli- Houthis, who they say are
national airport in the Saudi as a crackdown on corrup- cade. It has a strong ally in tics, wrecking the compro- tools of Iran.
capital of Riyadh, and Sau- tion but was widely seen as the United Arab Emirates, mise government led by This prevented the Houthis
di Arabia accused Iran of a purge of potential rivals which also has built a large Hariri that the kingdom saw and their allies from over-
supplying the missile, saying and critics. military. as too close to Iran. running Yemen and pre-
that could be “considered How Saudi policies are af- Direct military action would Hezbollah still dominates served a hold in the south.q