What’s left of the Saudi bloc?

Bruce Riedel explains that the “Saudi-orchestrated bloc of Sunni Muslim states celebrated at US President Donald Trump's visit to Riyadh is splintering less than two weeks after the summit. There is growing unease with the summit's intense animosity toward Iran and increasing concerns that the Saudis are inflaming the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shiites. Trump's domestic troubles are also raising doubts over whether Washington is reliable.”

There is well established bad blood in the region because of Iran’s actions throughout the Middle East. But linking Iran, even implicitly, to the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, in addition to being mistaken, may ultimately serve only to fuel “the fires of sectarian conflict and terror,” as Trump accused Iran of doing. 

Fareed Zakaria wrote in The Washington Post that “Trump has adopted the Saudi line on terrorism, which deflects any blame from the kingdom and redirects it toward Iran.” A more nuanced and realistic approach to the region would avoid adopting any “line” on matters of such urgency. For example, Iran is supporting both the Iraqi and Syrian governments against IS and other terrorist organizations. This is not to say Iran’s intentions in both countries are pure; it is simply to state the flaws in the broad-brush approach to Iran, which also constrains opportunities for cooperation and conflict resolution.