By Denis Korkodinov
On May 30, 2019, a meeting of Arab leaders will be held in Mecca at the initiative of Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the event is to discuss options for the development of the conflict associated with Iran.
The reason for the meeting was the sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, on May 12. of Saudi oil tankers and of two oil pumping stations in the kingdom by armed drones struck, on May 14.
The Saudis accuse Tehran of provocation and create an international coalition against it. The choice of Mecca as a venue for the anti-Iranian meeting is not accidental. Apparently, Riyadh expects to give the initiated negotiating process a sacred, all-Muslim meaning and present the Ayatollah regime as “an apostate from the true teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.”
Almost all the leaders of the states of the Arab League were invited to meet in Mecca. At the same time, Yemen, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates met the news of the upcoming meeting with enthusiasm, while Qatar was excluded from the list of invitees for objective reasons.
On the eve of the official event, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir noted that Riyadh did not formally intend to launch military operations against Iran, but the kingdom reserves the right to consider all possible scenarios.
The Lebanese delegation at the meeting will be represented by the country’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who traditionally adheres to pro-Saud views. The head of the Lebanese government has personal motives for this: in 2005, as a result of the actions of militants of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group, his father was killed. It is believed that this event was decisive in the life of Saad Hariri, who vowed to resist Iran always and everywhere.
Meanwhile, the participation of the United Arab Emirates in the announced event is due to the fact that Abu Dhabi, together with Riyadh, supports the current government in Yemen, leading the fight against Hussites. In turn, Iran is on the side of the Yemeni armed opposition, which, from the point of view of the emirate, is a threat to regional security.
Kuwait, which considers the Hussites, and, accordingly, the Iranian groups of forces that provide them support, are of the same opinion, are terrorist organizations and puts them on a par with the Islamic State.
It is worth paying special attention to the fact that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, as well as the official governments of Lebanon and Yemen are in the wake of American politics. In other words, the initiative of the meeting between them is in the sphere of interests of the White House administration, which is the leading moderator of the negotiation process aimed at creating a political and legal platform for the subsequent alliance against Iran.
It is highly doubtful that the reason for organizing the event in Mecca was, in the opinion of the Saudis, the provocation of Iran regarding oil tankers. At least, if this were indeed the case, the meeting would take place immediately after the events, that is, on May 13 or 14, 2019.
However, the meeting is scheduled only for May 30, 2019. Such a delay can be caused by the fact that Riyadh behind the scenes is coordinating positions on a potential Iranian threat and is developing a set of measures aimed at weakening the ayatollah regime in the international arena. In this regard, the meeting in Mecca is an extremely symbolic event where, most likely, only general resolutions with a hint of religious message in the direction of Tehran will be announced.
In addition, the other day, Donald Trump should report to the Congress on the Iranian threat. Therefore, the Saudis do not take any action against Tehran until they verify what position the majority of US congressmen adhere to.
The meeting in Mecca will take place one day before the Night of Power and Predestination, the most significant night for all Muslims, Laylat al-Qadr. Such a coincidence is most likely not by chance. It is believed that on this night the first surahs of the Holy Quran were sent down by Allah to the prophet Muhammad. On this night, Muslims all over the world are analyzing the mistakes made and making plans for the future.
In relation to Tehran, the presented symbolism probably indicates Riyadh’s intention to emphasize the particular religious context of the announced event in Mecca. Most likely, the meeting on the eve of Lailatul-frame may become the culmination of relations with Iran.
(The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights)
Image Credit: Flickr/AlJazeera