Middle East Crisis-CSS General

Knowledge
The conundrum in the Middle East continues to conflagrate as the two bastions of the
Muslim World in Iran and Saudi Arabia ratchet-up their rivalry.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting
terrorist groups inside Iran, a week after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also
known as ISIS) group claimed attacks in Tehran.

We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups
operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchistan, Zarif said on Tuesday at a news
conference on the sidelines of an annual peace mediation in Oslo.

He said while referring to Pakistan that the assailants are using the territory of one of our
neighbors against its will to launch attacks against Iran which only two months ago led to
the murder of nine Iranian border guards,

This statement comes a week after Irans Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei accused the US
and its stooge, Saudi Arabia of stoking violence in the region. It will not damage our
nations determination to fight terrorism but will only increase hatred for the governments
of the United States and their stooges in the region like Saudis, Khamenei said in reference
to last weeks attacks in Tehran.
Read more: Stepping up the pressure: Saudi strong arms Muslim nations to take sides in
Gulf crisis
Turkey and Iran have acted in support of Qatar, with the former deploying troops
in Doha while the latter is sending in food supplies. On Monday, five planes full of
food supplies landed at the Doha airport with Iran planning to send more.

Turkish and Iranian support for Qatar

Tensions between the two countries are at an all-time high and have increased after the
attacks on Irans parliament and the tomb of the revolutionary Ayatullah Khamenei. The
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IGRC) accused the Saudi Arabia of the attacks.

The sectarian and political rivalry has impacted the region negatively for a very long time as
both countries try to reduce each others spheres of influence. Both are at loggerheads in
Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and other countries.

Emboldened by the anti-Iran proclamations in the Riyadh Summit with the outright support
of President Trump, Saudi Arabia, and 6 other countries severed diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The tiny Gulf country was blockaded due to its alleged support for terrorist groups and
healthy ties with Iran.

The stalemate has resulted in the creation of the nascent alliance, fracturing the already
tenuous Middle East equation. Turkey and Iran have acted in support of Qatar, with the
former deploying troops in Doha while the latter is sending in food supplies. On Monday,
five planes full of food supplies landed at the Doha airport with Iran planning to send more.

The US despite offering mediation earlier have reiterated that Qatar is a sponsor of
terrorism. On Tuesday The United States ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith announced
that she is resigning from her position.

Read more: Is the Islamic military alliance already in shambles?

More trouble between Saudi Arabia and Iran
Iran will also increase its succor to Qatar in form of food aid and air corridor
along with Turkey . Saudi Arabias move against Qatar has been welcomed by Tel
Aviv. However , Iran is said to be improving its ties with Hamas , a point which will
stoke further trouble in the region as it meshes with the Qatar crisis
On Tuesday, Irans Supreme leader castigated the US for being the incendiary force behind
instability in the region. Khamenei called the US as the creator of ISIS and called its fight
against the organization as a farce.
You (the United States) and your agents are the sources of instability in the Middle East
who created Islamic State? America Americas claim of fighting against Islamic State is a
lie, Khamenei said in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials, according to his official
website.

Further, he said that Iran has no intent of improving ties with the US. The American
government is against an independent Iran They have problems with the existence of the
Islamic Republic of IranMost of our problems with them cannot be resolved. America is a
terrorist country and backs terrorism therefore, we cannot normalize ties with such
country, he said.

The extreme positions taken by both the US and Iran mean that ties would be at a lower ebb
for a foreseeable future. This will strengthen the ever-growing closeness between
Washington and Riyadh. The Saudi government will ramp up its anti-Qatar drive fully
supported by President Trump. Furthermore, Irans intensification of the fight against the
ISIS will be resisted and castigated by the Kingdom and the US.

Read more: Identifying the common enemy: Is Trump missing a chance to mend ties with
Iran?
Iran will also increase its succor to Qatar in form of food aid and air corridor along with
Turkey. Saudi Arabias move against Qatar has been welcomed by Tel Aviv. However, Iran is
said to be improving its ties with Hamas, a point which will stoke further trouble in the
region as it meshes with the Qatar crisis. The first casualty of this increasing enmity will be
the Yemen front where both Iran and KSA are drawn into a conflict with Iran supporting the
Houthis rebels.