As the respective self-proclaimed leaders of the Shi’ite and Sunni communities, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been at odds for decades, with significant tensions floating around their respective efforts to expand their regional spheres of influence.
That tension could be thawing a bit, as the Saudi and Iranian FMs met today over the weekend in New York, with discussions centering around their mutual enemy ISIS.
Iran has been fighting ISIS in Iraq since June, and has been backing Hezbollah and Syria in fighting them in Syria for quite some time. The Saudis have joined the US anti-ISIS coalition.
“Both my Saudi counterpart and I believe that this meeting will be the first page of a new chapter in our two countries’ relations,” said Iranian FM Javad Zarif. The two are unlikely to get too cozy too quickly, but the chances seem strong that they’ll at least stop openly undermining one another as the war picks up.
The ISIS, ISL or whatever their satanic name can be, they must be eliminated by all means. Then the Iranians, Iraqis and syrian political, cultural and economical relations needs to be restablished with more determination then ever before, that was the reason for USG/English/Saudis/UAE/Qatar to create ISIS to begin with, now they know who is friend and who is foe. Yet, is not over until is over, this is a long, very long war created along side USG and other religious/economic interests that people of middle east have to deal with, not the USG nor the Saudis or Europe. Bomb the hell out of these barbarians and then leave.
I'm betting Israel finds a way, direct or indirect (as they usually do) to make sure there is no rapprochement. Besides, this is a religious conflict and where religion is the center of the conflict, there will be no rapprochement because that would force one side or the other, or both, to deny some of the beliefs – and their God.