Iran and the Arab world are on a collision course

Egypt recently dismantled Hezbollah terror cells that were planning on hitting targets in the Sinai. Morocco broke diplomatic relations with Iran over Tehran’s “infiltration” in the kingdom. Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, recently said that Bahrain was Iran’s 14^thprovince.

 

These are three examples of Iran’s expansionist agenda and the increase in tensions between Tehran and the Arab world.

 

Iran’s expansion strategy includes using the Shiite communities living in the Gulf. Indeed, hundreds of Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, who received military training in Iran have infiltrated the Gulf since last year in order to “militarize” the Shiite community in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Their mission is to organize the destabilization of these monarchies and target vital national interests and Westerners if Israel decided to conduct a military operation against Iran.

 

Iran is spending money, energy and time to proselytize local population from Africa to the Gulf. And of all the Sunni countries, Saudi Arabia is the one feeling the most threatened by this new wave of Shiite proselytizing.

 

Interestingly, Saudi King Abdullah accused Shiites of trying to convert Sunnis and clearly pointed his finger at Tehran. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is convinced that Iran wants to overthrow the regime.

 

Therefore Abdullah sternly warned Iranian president Ahmadinejad during a visit in 2007, “We welcome cooperation and investment but we will not tolerate interference in internal affairs.” In fact, the Shiite minority, about 10 percent of the total population, is mostly located in the oil-rich region of the country. The kingdom cannot afford a rebellion or terror attacks there and to prevent any terrorist attacks against its oil installations.

 

Even though the Shiite community remains cautious, it is nonetheless listening to the Iranian big brother and is ready to contest its second-class citizen status.  A few incidents have been sporadically reported in the past weeks: clashes erupted in the province of Al-Qatif, between Shiite demonstrators responding to the Hezbollah call to support Palestinians in Gaza, and the Saudi police.

 

Violence also recently erupted in Medina between Shiite and Sunni worshippers. 

 

Iran is also using its cozy links to Al Qaeda. Recently Saudi Arabia released a list of its most wanted terrorists. Close to 40% of these individuals are based in Iran and have entered the Islamic republic only in the past five months.

 

In a country as controlled as Iran, there is no way that the regime is not complicit in hosting them. And since this branch of Al Qaeda’s goal is to overthrow the monarchy, the regime is taking the threat seriously and may at one point hold Iran accountable.

 

To counter Iran, Saudi Arabia has built a Sunni axis with the six Gulf monarchies (even though Qatar is wobbly), Jordan and Egypt. But the Saudis are concerned about the Obama administration opening to Iran and are afraid that a deal could be done at their detriment.

 

Hence the Saudi diplomatic offensive to rally support in the region recently demonstrated by Saudi Foreign Minister prince Saud al-Faisal who recently exhorted his Arab counterparts to stand up to Iran’s ambitions in the region and its nuclear program.

 

But more than anything, the Saudi charm offensive towards Iran’s main ally in the Middle East, Syria, is very significant and perfectly fit in the strategy of completely isolating Tehran. 

 

Tehran’s recent actions are clearly aimed at controlling the Arab world. This proves once more that Iran is far from being just a source of concern in Western capitals but also in large portions of the Muslim world.

 

Olivier Guitta is an Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a foreign affairs and counterterrorism consultant.