Iranians Will Miss This Year's Hajj Pilgrimage Because Of Conflict With Saudi Arabia

Al Jazeera: Saudi Arabia, Iran trade blame over failed Hajj talks

Officials blame each other over talks' failure that may see Iran's Muslims miss out on annual pilgrimage.

Muslims in Iran could miss out on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year as Tehran and Riyadh trade blame over a failure to agree organisational details, according to media reports.

A delegation from Tehran held four days of talks in Saudi Arabia last month, aimed at reaching a deal for Iranians to go for Hajj, which will take place in September.

Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Tehran's Islamic Guidance and Culture Minister Ali Jannati as blaming Riyadh for the impasse.

Read more ....

More News On Iranians Missing This Year's Hajj Pilgrimage Because Of Conflict With Saudi Arabia

Iran Declines to Take Part in Hajj Over Dispute With Saudis -- AP
Iranian Muslims to miss haj pilgrimage amid rift with Saudi -- Reuters
For first time in 25 years, Iranians will not make Hajj pilgrimage over conflict with Saudi Arabia -- UPI
Iran Says It Will Avoid the Hajj This Year, Blaming Saudi Arabia -- NYT
Iran suspends participation in the hajj as relations with Saudi Arabia plummet -- Washington Post
Iran 'will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia' for Hajj -- BBC
Iran says pilgrims to miss hajj after Saudi 'sabotage' -- AFP
Iran bans own citizens from performing Hajj -- Al Arabiya

Hostility Between Saudi Arabia And Iran Continues To Intensify

Ian Black, The Guardian: Iran and Saudi Arabia ramp up hostile rhetoric to new levels

Riyadh and Tehran have thrown diplomatic niceties to the wind and are attacking each other without restraint over Syria and Yemen

The propaganda war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, bitter rivals on opposite sides of the Middle East’s biggest current crises, is hotting up, with near daily exchanges and insults between ministers and state media outlets.

In the past week alone senior figures from both countries have cast diplomatic niceties to the desert winds and attacked each other publicly. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, said on Monday that Iran was “occupying Arab lands” in Syria - where it supports Bashar al-Assad. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, retorted that the Saudis were in no position to complain as they were “occupying” Yemen - where Tehran backs the Houthi rebels.

WNU Editor: Both sides are now involved in a number of proxy wars .... especially in Syria and Yemen. And as these wars intensify .... expect this rhetoric to only increase.

Iran And Saudi Arabia Are Waging Media War Over Yemen

NDTV/Reuters: Iran Wages Media Onslaught Against Saudis Over Yemen War

Dubai: Cut off from Yemen and its allies there by a Saudi-led military campaign, Iran has intensified a media counter-offensive against Riyadh, accusing its regional rival of inflicting catastrophic suffering while presenting itself as a blameless peacemaker.

Iranian state media have given blanket coverage in Arabic, Farsi and English to the three-month-old war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia and Sunni Arab allies have been bombing the Iranian-allied Houthi faction for over three months.

The violence has killed more than 2,800 people, displaced one million and left more than 21 million people or 80 per cent of the population in need of some form of humanitarian aid and or protection, the United Nations says.

WNU Editor: I see this war being waged on YouTube daily .... but of the two I would have to say that it is Iran that is the most effective in waging this media war. Iran is targeting the English audience, and they are overwhelming what videos are available (and current) on the Yemen war. I can only presume that Saudi Arabia is more focused on presenting their point of view to their own people and to the Arab world in general .... the West is not a priority .... so far. I predict this will change .... Western public opinion is important, and it would not surprise me if a shift in Saudi coverage will occur in the months to come.

Top Iranian General Predicts The Downfall Of The Saudi Government

New York Times: Iranian General Says Saudi Arabia Will Soon Be Toppled

TEHRAN — A senior Iranian general said on Monday that the leadership of Saudi Arabia, a regional rival, was on the edge of collapse and would be toppled soon, “God willing.”

Saudi-led bombardments on Yemen are “shameless and rude and an affront to all Islamic values,” the head of the 150,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, said during a speech in Tehran.

Last week, Saudi Arabia announced a halt to its operations in Yemen, which started a month ago, only to restart bombing a day later. Over 1,000 people have been killed after the Houthi rebels, who are financially supported by Iran, swept through Yemen, taking advantage of years of infighting among Sunni leaders. A coalition of Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, is trying to push the Houthis back using airstrikes.

“The traitor Saudi Arabia is following the path of Israel,” General Jafari said, according to the semiofficial news agency Tasnim.

More News On The Remarks By Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps General Mohammad Ali Jafari

Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard accuses Saudi of 'treachery' -- AP
Head Of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Accuses Saudi Arabia Of 'Killing A Nation' -- Radio Free Europe
Iranian general accuses Saudis of following in Israeli footsteps -- Irish Times
Iran general slams ‘declining’ Saudi over Yemen strikes -- The News
In new provocation, Iran Guards chief likens Saudi Arabia to Israel -- Middle East Online

U.S. Officials Alarmed That An Iranian Naval Convoy Is Moving Towards Yemen

The Hill: Iranian ship convoy moves toward Yemen, alarming US officials

U.S. military officials are concerned that Iran's support for Houthi rebels in Yemen could spark a confrontation with Saudi Arabia and plunge the region into sectarian war.

Iran is sending an armada of seven to nine ships — some with weapons — toward Yemen in a potential attempt to resupply the Shia Houthi rebels, according to two U.S. defense officials.

Officials fear the move could lead to a showdown with the U.S. or other members of a Saudi-led coalition, which is enforcing a naval blockade of Yemen and is conducting its fourth week of airstrikes against the Houthis.

Update #1: Iran Sends Ships Toward Blockaded Yemen Port, Raising Fears Of Escalating Conflict With Saudi Arabia -- IBTimes
Update #2: Iran Sparks Fears of Full-Scale War with Saudi Arabia by Sending Ships to Yemen -- IBTimes

WNU Editor: Saudi military officials have made it very clear that they will not permit any Iranian ships to enter a Yemeni port .... Iranian ships ‘not allowed’ in Yemeni waters (Al Arabiya). The Iranian President has stated that Iran's moves are purely defensive .... Rouhani says Iran's military strategy purely defensive (Daily Mail/AFP) .... but he is also "blasting" Saudi involvement in Yemen's war .... Rouhani says Saudis will harvest hatred in Yemen (YNet News). In this mix there are seven US Navy combat ships monitoring the situation .... Navy has seven combat ships around Yemen as Saudi-led blockade continues (Washington Post). My prediction .... this naval convoy is either a bluff from the Iranians (which I doubt), or a move by Iran to confront Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen (which I feel is what they are doing). This has the potential to be the spark of a major Middle Eastern war with deep sectarian roots that we have not seen in our lifetimes.

Update #3: This is interesting. Apparently Algeria is the middleman for communications between Iran and Saudi Arabia .... Algeria relaying messages between Riyadh, Tehran: Source (Middle East Monitor)

Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia Of Launching Cyber Attacks On Its State Media

Sputnik: Iran’s State TV Says Hacked by Saudi Arabia for Yemen Coverage

The Twitter account and YouTube channel of Iran’s state-run Al-Alam TV came under attack of Saudi hackers, the channel said in a statement Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Twitter account and YouTube channel of Iran’s state-run Al-Alam TV, the intruders accessed its Twitter account to publish false news about the death of Abdul-Malik Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels, in control of parts of the country. The TV outlet claimed that the hack was prompted by Riyad's fury over Al-Alam's critical coverage of the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes on the Houthi positions in Yemen.

In late March, a group of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia started bombing Houthi positions following a request from displaced Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

More News On Iran Accusing Saudi Arabia Of Launching Cyber Attacks On Its State Media

Iran state television site hacked, made to announce death of Houthi leader -- Jerusalem Post
Iran's state TV social media accounts hacked -- Reuters
Iran says its Al Alam TV hacked by Saudi hackers -- Xinhua
Pro-Saudi hackers seize Iran TV's social media accounts -- Phys.org
Hackers Fuel Yemen’s War Online -- Vocativ

Saudi Arabia: 'We Are Not At War With Iran'

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal at a news conference in Riyadh in March. On Sunday, he said his country’s intervention in Yemen has been at the request of Yemen’s president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Photo: Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters

WSJ: Saudi Foreign Minister Says His Country ‘Not at War With Iran’

Yemen intervention aimed at protecting ‘the legitimacy of the state’

RIYADH—A top Saudi official said his country is “not at war with Iran” in Yemen, where it has led a coalition in airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels for more than two weeks.

Yemeni president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi “asked us to intervene to protect the legitimacy of the state and to stop the war declared by Houthis to occupy all of Yemen,” Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal told reporters Sunday after meeting with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia shares a long border with Yemen to the south and has been leading a military campaign against the Shiite-linked Houthi militants with the aim of restoring the country’s president, who fled the southern port city of Aden for Riyadh last month.

Update #1: Saudi FM says Riyadh 'not at war with Iran' in Yemen -- Ahram/AFP
Update #2: Saudi FM: ‘We are not at war with Iran’ -- Al Arabiya

WNU Editor: They may not be at war .... but they are both positioning themselves just in case .... Iran, Saudi Arabia in tense buildup opposite Yemen’s Gulf of Aden shore: US air tankers refueling Saudi jets (Debka).

WNU Editor's Note: Correction to the title of this post. I accidentally wrote that Saudi Arabia and Iran are at war .... they are not.

Will Iran Retailiate Against Saudi Arabia For Its Air Strikes In Yemen?

VOA: Saudi Airstrikes In Yemen Raise Specter Of Iranian Retaliation

Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen have raised fears of a proxy war and direct conflict between Tehran and rival Riyadh.

But some analysts say this is unlikely — and caution there are other concerns much more pressing.

The Houthis are members of a Shi’ite revival movement that has fought Yemen’s central government for at least a decade and took control of the capital, Sana'a, in September.

Iran, which backs the rebels, has called the airstrikes a “dangerous action” against Yemen’s sovereignty. Iran is reported to have provided the Houthis money, weapons and training, but it isn’t clear how much and for how long.

WNU Editor: Most people are saying no .... Iran will do nothing. But as the conflict in Yemen intensifies, Iran will need to do something to at least placate their supporters in other conflict zones that they will not be abandoned by Iran.What shape or form that retaliation may take is something that I do not know .... and I also do not know how Saudi Arabia itself may respond if they are targeted .... but I suspect that they will not take it lying down.

Yemen Is Now Part Of The Proxy War Between Iran And Saudi Arabia

Con Coughlin, The Telegraph: Yemen is a battlefield for Saudi Arabia and Iran

The latest atrocity in Yemen, which claimed nearly 150 lives on Friday, appears part of a proxy war between the Middle East's two superpowers

Of all the wars that have ravaged the Middle East since the outbreak of the so-called Arab Spring four years ago, the bitter rivalry between the more fanatical adherents of Sunni and Shia Islam has now emerged as the region’s defining conflict.

The deadly series of suicide bomb attacks in Yemen on Friday, which are reported to have claimed the lives of nearly 150 people, is just the latest brutal manifestation of the Sunni-Shia conflict which has resulted in rival forces inflicting widespread bloodshed throughout the Arab world.

Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain are among the many Middle Eastern states that have been badly affected by the deepening hostility between rival Sunni and Shia factions. And at the heart of a conflict which threatens to transform the political landscape of the modern Arab world lies the deadly rivalry between Saudi Arabia’s Sunni fundamentalist ruling family and Iran’s equally uncompromising Shia-based Islamic revolution.

WNU Editor: The Saudis see Iran arming the Houtis rebels who .... on the map .... are only 500 miles away from Mecca. In turn ... the Iranians see Saudi support for militants trying to overthrow Assad in Syria, as well as supporting anti-Shiite groups elsewhere .... Yemen included. For an outsider looking in .... there definitely is a proxy war happening right now .... and if current trends are any indication .... this is a proxy war that will continue to escalate and spread into our regions and conflicts.

Iran Accuses The U.S. And Saudis Of Conspiring To Influence Oil Prices

VOA: Iran Accuses Saudis of Oil Conspiracy

WNU Editor: I do not know about a U.S. - Saudi oil conspiracy .... but it is obvious that Saudi Arabia has made the decision to flood the markets with oil .... and consequences be damn. Iran ... in turn .... appears to now be realizing that the costs are going to be high .... and are deeply concerned. Sighhh .... it is always about the money.

Update #1: Iran: Saudi has to stop decline in oil prices -- Middle East Monitor
Update #2: US, S. Arabia Using Oil Price to Undermine Iran’s Stance in N. Talks -- Tasnim News Agency (Iran)

A Saudi Arabia - Iran Rapprochement?

The Saudi FM said he had invited his Iranian counterpart to visit the kingdom. (File photo: Reuters)

Iran and Saudi Arabia Edge Closer to Talks -- Defense One/Global Security Newswire

Iranian and Saudi officials have signaled their nations may welcome a change to their tension-fraught relationship, the Associated Press reports.

An adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded warmly on Wednesday to an unusual attempt at outreach from Saudi Arabia, a longtime rival of Tehran. Suspicions that Iran is pursuing nuclear-weapons capabilities have prompted high-level hints that Saudi Arabia may retaliate through its own atomic endeavors, and late last month, Riyadh showed off intermediate-range ballistic missiles in a possible warning gesture to Tehran.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said his country is “ready to receive” his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif at any time, the Washington Post reported.

Read more ....

More News On Saudi Arabia Inviting Iran's Top Diplomat For Talks

Saudi Arabia extends historic invitation to Iran -- CBS
Saudi Arabia moves to settle differences with Iran -- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia invites Iran's top diplomat to visit -- AP
U.S. says delighted with Saudi Arabia inviting Iranian FM -- Tehran Times
Saudi Arabia reveals invitation to Iranian FM -- Al Jazeera
Iran says no written invitation, but visit to Saudi Arabia on agenda: IRNA -- Reuters
Iran Foreign Ministry welcomes Saudi overture -- Al-Monitor
Iran-Saudi direct talks: could that be real? -- Voice of Russia
Saudi bid to Iran, admission of defeat -- Press TV (Iran)
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Spring mending fences despite too many differences -- Jumana Al Tamimi, Gulf News
Iran appears open to Saudi Arabia's diplomatic overtures -- AP
Saudi Arabia’s desire to negotiate with Iran -- Abdulrahman al-Rashed, Al Arabiya

Iran Wants Better Relations With Saudi Arabia And The Gulf States

Sultan Qabaoos Bin Saeed (right) with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the audience at Bait Al Barakah on Sunday. Image Credit: Courtesy: Mohammad Mustafa

Iran Says Seeks Stronger Cooperation With Saudi Arabia -- Reuters

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it wanted stronger cooperation with U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, as it seeks to ease concerns among Gulf Arab neighbours about a potential resurgence in its influence following a nuclear deal with world powers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, on a tour of Gulf Arab states, said after talks in Kuwait that no date had been set for an expected visit to Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia, Shi'ite Iran's main regional rival.

But he suggested the nuclear deal reached in Geneva on Nov. 24 should not be seen as a threat.

Read more ....

More News On Iran Wanting Better Relations With Saudi Arabia And The Gulf States

Iran FM on Gulf tour urges Saudi cooperation for 'stability' -- Global Post/AFP
Zarif asks Saudi Arabia to work with Iran -- Al Jazeera
Iran wants stronger ties with Saudi Arabia -- Al Arabiya
Iran Foreign Minister Wants to Start ‘New Page’ With Gulf States -- Bloomberg
Iran envoy meets Kuwaiti emir in latest outreach -- Washington Post/AP

My Comment: I see nothing coming out of these talks. The Saudis are looking at Iran's actions (involvement in the Syrian civil war, supporting terror groups, interference in the affairs of the Gulf states, etc.) than Iranian words and promises.  I would wager that this Saudi business leader's opinion is probably shared by most (if not all) in the Saudi Arabian government.

Saudi Arabia Warns Against Iran's Nuke Program

Saudi Arabia Warns Against Iran's Nuclear Programme -- Zee News

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia on Saturday warned of the lurking danger of the Iranian nuclear programme to the region's security, saying that Tehran should not threaten its neighbours, who harbour no ill-intentions for it.

"We stress the danger of the Iranian nuclear programme to the security of the whole region," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said at a joint news conference with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

To a question on Iran's alleged threat to Bahrain, the Saudi Minister said,"It is very unfortunate for Iran to use" such a language.

Read more ....

Update: Saudi Arabia warns against Iran's nuclear program -- AP

My Comment: This does not help in lessening the tensions between the two countries.

The Conflict Between Saudi Arabia And Iran

Saudi Struggle vs. Iran Looks Likely to Get Worse -- CNBC

Saudi Arabia has gone on the offensive against Iran to protect its interests. Its involvement in Syria is the first battle in what is going to be a long conflict that will know no frontiers nor limits.

Ongoing disorders in the island kingdom of Bahrain since February 2011 set off alarm bells in Riyadh. The Saudis are convinced that Iran is directing the protests and fear that the problems will spill over the 25-kilometer long COSWAY into oil rich Al-Qatif, where the bulk of the Saudi Arabia's Shia are concentrated. So far, the Saudis have not had to deal with demonstrations as serious as those in Bahrain, but success there could encourage the protestors to become more violent.

Read more ....

My Comment: It all comes down to religion, and this religious conflict has been ongoing for 1200 years.

Rising Tensions Between Saudi Arabia And Iran

Saudi Arabia And Iran: Is Trouble Brewing? -- Al Jazeera

We ask if calls for a closer union between Gulf states are part of a broader strategy to counter Iran's influence.

Bahrain has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires to protest against what it calls a "gross violation of its sovereignty", after Tehran criticised efforts by Gulf Arab states to forge a closer political and military union.

The proposed union calls for economic, political and military integration.

The latest Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) meeting ended with no decision, but this did not stop Iran from hardening its tone, calling on Iranians to protest on Friday against what it described as a US plot to annex Bahrain.

Analysts say a closer union between Gulf states is part of a much broader defence strategy to counter Iran's influence.

Read more ....

My Comment: This brewing conflict stems from the religious differences between the two countries .... a conflict that has been ongoing since the establishment of Islam in the region in the 7th-8th century.

The Consequences Of An Iranian War For Saudi Arabia

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The Consequences Of War For Saudi Arabia -- Brian M Downing, Asia Times

Discussion of a possible war between Iran and the coalition aligning against it centers on destroying Iranian nuclear sites and ensuring that oil tankers freely transit the Strait of Hormuz. Countries embarking on war scrutinize as many scenarios and possibilities as they can, but wars invariably present unexpected situations and changes within their borders are seldom anticipated.

Saudi Arabia is a family-ruled, tribal country with an array of tensions over religion, power, succession and foreign relations. Another Gulf war is not expected to be long or require an appreciable number of Saudi forces, nonetheless hostilities will bring significant challenges to the kingdom. After all, not even the victor leaves a war the way it went in.

Read more ....

My Comment: The history (and consequences) of war in the Middle East has always been one of changes in governments and alliances. As a result .... a war against Iran would be a crossing of red lines that would all but insure continuous warfare and terrorism coupled with internal unrest throughout the region. The biggest impact will be on the social system of government subsidies and welfare that many who live in the region are dependent on .... war will mean a shift from these subsidies to military and security expenditures .... an action that will not only bring "hurt" to both sides in such a conflict, but massive unrest and civil disobedience.

Iran Warns Guld States To Not Boost oil Production

Iran Warns Gulf Nations Against Boosting Oil Production -- BBC

Iran has warned Gulf nations against boosting their oil production saying they will be responsible for the consequences of any such move.

The warning comes as the US and European Union have been seeking to curb Iran's oil exports.

Leaders from various nations are travelling to the region in a bid to seek extra supplies to offset any shortfalls.

Iran has warned of retaliation against any output increase.

Read more ....

More News on Iranian Threats Against The Gulf States To Not Increase Their Oil Production

Iran threatens neighbours over the West's proposed oil embargo -- the Australian/Times
Iran warns of consequences if Arabs back oil sanctions -- Reuters
Iran warns Gulf Arab oil producers -- Newsday/AP
Iran warns Gulf States over potential oil embargo -- Xinhuanet
Iran warns on output rise after sanctions -- Financial Times

Saudi Arabia and Iran spar over oil embargo -- Al Jazeera
Iran warns Gulf countries not to replace its oil -- Haaretz
Saudi Arabia doubts Iran oil blockade claim -- Reuters
Saudi says can pump more fast, favors $100 oil -- Reuters
Saudi Arabia is ready to turn valves -- CNN
Saudi's Naimi Wants Oil Stabilized At $100/Bbl -- Wall Street Journal
Saudis have 2.5m barrels spare oil capacity, PFC says -- Arabian Business

My Comment: Shiite Persians telling Sunni Arabs what to do and not to do .... yup .... that's not going to go over well.

Iran's Intelligence Chief Visits Saudi Arabia

Iran Says Saudi Visit Aimed To Refute US Claims -- New York Times/AP

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A rare visit by Iran's intelligence chief to Saudi Arabia sought to refute U.S. claims that Tehran planned to kill the kingdom's ambassador to Washington, a senior Iranian official said Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran also wanted to convince Saudi Arabia that the U.S. and Israel are seeking to sow seeds of discord between the two regional powers.

Read more ....

My Comment: If these claims against Iran were false .... the Iranian intelligence chief would not have even bothered flying to Saudi Arabia. The problem (for the Iranians) is that both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia believe very strongly that Iranian threats against them were (and are) real .... and are now starting to formulate a strategy to counter Iranian rogue elements conducting operations against them. I suspect that his trip to Saudi Arabia is nothing more but an attempt to placate these concerns, and to do so personally.

A Saudi-Iranian Cold War

A Saudi-Iranian Cold War Takes Shape -- Rami G. Khouri, The Daily Star

The Middle East continues to experience one of its most tumultuous moments of structural change in several generations, and countries are reconfiguring both their domestic power structures as well as their intra-regional relations.

In this context, we can expect much of the diplomatic maneuvering in the region to revolve around the axes of two major ideological confrontations. The first is the Arab-Israeli conflict, the second the invigorated Saudi-Iranian confrontation. It remains unclear if the national interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran are genuinely threatened by the other side, or whether we are simply in a situation where mediocre leaderships are using the exaggerated threat of the other, coupled with their own sense of vulnerability, to turn a local feud into a major cause of region-wide tension and proxy warfare.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Sunni - Shiite divide has been a source of conflict that goes back centuries .... and it will not change in this century. As for my take .... I am very happy to see a cold war than a hot war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.

Is Saudi Arabia And Iran Entering A Period Of Confrontation

Bearbaiting Iran -- Hossein Askari, The National Interest

Throughout the years, Saudi decision-making has been characterized by three fundamental principles—discretion, caution and cash. But last month, by deploying troops to Bahrain and lecturing Iran, the al-Sauds acted out of character. They sent an unintended invitation to Iran to intervene around the Persian Gulf, an invitation that Iran cannot refuse and one that might be the seed for the downfall of the al-Sauds and other GCC monarchies.

Read more ....

More News On The Saudi Arabia/Iran Divide

Iran MP calls for pilgrim boycott against S.Arabia -- Reuters
Uprisings in Bahrain Ratchet Up Tension With Iran -- Voice of America
Saudi cleric attacks Iranian "hypocrisy and deception" -- Reuters
Arab uprisings scramble regional power structure of Saudi Arabia, Iran -- Globe And Mail
Saudi Arabia Vs. Iran: The New Cold War -- Business Insider

My Comment: I guess this is why Saudi Arabia is on a massive weapons acquisition program.