How Iran-Saudi rapprochement is impacting Lebanon
Iran has been hinting at potential rapprochement with Saudi Arabia for quite some time now, and in Lebanon, historical rival parties are showing signs of consensus as well.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Jan. 16 that Iran does not want to topple the Saudi royal family because leaving an opening for the Islamic State to rise would not be any better.
Shamkhani’s words did not go unnoticed in the regional and Lebanese political scenes.
The regional political disputes between Saudi Arabia and Iran have translated into political conflicts in Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq and Syria, affecting their allies in Lebanon. Serious confrontations broke out over the years between Lebanese political parties, specifically Iran-allied Hezbollah and the Saudi-backed Future Movement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was crystal clear at the World Economic Congress in Davos on Jan. 18 when he said that Iran and Saudi Arabia must cooperate to end the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, just like they did in Lebanon when they worked to lift the obstacles for Lebanese presidential elections.
