As relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran hit a new low and Saudi Arabia initiates changes to its policies, experts say the trends of regional transformation could have implications for the whole Middle East.
The Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) held the "Regional transformation in the Middle East" panel yesterday to highlight the implications of the recent developments in the region.
Muhittin Ataman stated at the panel that the appointment of Mohammad Salman as the crown prince last June marked the beginning of a new period of transformation. When many Saudi ministers and princes were arrested as part of an operation, the crown prince drew the world's attention as the head of the anti-corruption committee.
Ataman stated that the crown prince's aim of change includes transformation in the country's administration, politics and in the minds of people through his news rhetoric of "moderate Islam."
He believes the new approach would lead to the modernization and secularization of Saudi Arabia. He added that, in line with the new policies of the Saudi crown prince, the country's first priority is to decrease its economy's dependence on oil and integration into the world economy. Ataman also stressed that the demonization of Iran has also increased with the recent steps taken by Saudi Arabia.
Farhad Rezai from the Center for Iranian Studies in Ankara (IRAM) commented on the underlying reasons for the conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia and stated that following the 1979 revolution in Iran, the country was set on expanding the revolution to other countries, which was criticized by experts at that time.
In an effort to spread the revolution and create a "Shiite Crescent," a term referring to a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, Rezaei said Iran has chosen to use proxies and added that Saudi Arabia was standing in the way of Iran's revolutionary aspirations.
Referring to the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he said, "Saudi Arabia was on the losing side of the equation," as a result of the regional developments, such as the Israel-Lebanon war, which led to the formation of Hezbollah.
He stated that as Iran continues its efforts to expand its hegemony in the region, the Saudi crown prince took steps to change the entire situation to the advantage of Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced on Nov. 4 that he was stepping down while visiting Saudi Arabia and criticized the influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in the country. The prime minister recently returned to his country and announced that he had put his resignation on hold.
In relation to the incident in Lebanon, Rezaei stressed that "Saudi Arabia will not be silent about Iran's influence in the region."
"In the endgame of Saudi Arabia versus the Iranian hegemony, military operations are a very small possibility," he said, adding that Saudi Arabia would increase the cost of doing business for Iranians in its cold war with the country.
He said another option for Saudi Arabia might be the delegitimization of Hezbollah in Lebanon and bringing the case to the United Nations.
Speaking at the panel, Burhan Köroğlu, an academic from İbn Haldun University, stressed that Turkey would inevitably be affected by the developments around the region and emphasized the necessity of maintaining sustainability in the regions close to Turkish borders.
Commenting on its ties with the U.S., Rezaei contended that Saudi Arabia's hopes have been raised with the new administration. He stressed that Saudi Arabia also seeks cooperation with Israel to confront Hezbollah, which Israel does not seem eager to engage but is willing to share information with in relation to the issue.
Underlining that it is unclear how the "cold war" between Iran and Saudi Arabia will develop, he stated that the attitude of other regional powers and Europe could prove very influential.