Two years ago, Hassan Rouhani was elected president on his promise of constructive engagement with the world, including Iran’s Arab neighbors. After winning the vote, Rouhani told an Al Jazeera reporter, “Our priority is improving our relationship with our neighbors. The states of the Persian Gulf are not only our neighbors, but our brothers.”
That objective has not been met. Instead, mutual accusations of undue interference in the other’s internal affairs have become the norm.