Retreating From a War Posture with Saudi Arabia

Two senior military officials of the Islamic republic of Iran are trying to diffuse the diplomatic standoff between Iran and the Saudi kingdom by making public conciliatory remarks. Their remarks come after news sites affiliated with the ruling circles in Iran and some middle level officials of the Islamic republic over the past several days had been speaking about the need to start a war with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Seyed Hassan Firuzabadi, the chairman of Iran’s joint armed forces command, two days ago said, “There is no room for arms and invasion in the culture of the Islamic republic,” adding, “Iran is not bent on war or conflict with other countries in the region.”

This highest military officer of the Islamic republic also said, “Saudi Arabia has made its biggest mistake by intervening in Bahrain on calls from the US,” while at the same time calling Iran a “peace-seeking country” that according to him “has not interfered at all in affairs of other countries and after 33 years since the Islamic republic no events have taken place in this region.”

It appears that these conciliatory remarks are in response to the announcement by the ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Egypt. Speaking with Egypt’s al-Hayat television station, Ambassador Ahmad al-Qattan said warned Iran not to test its power because if Iran tried to destabilize the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia had the capacity to militarily confront it.

The head of the national security and foreign policy committee of Iran’s parliament, the Majlis as it is called, also responded to the remarks of the Saudi ambassador and said his remarks were the policy of the US and Israel, adding, “Our policy in the Persian Gulf is not to confront or enter into the military phase, something that all the regional countries know.” He also said that the remarks of the ambassador were not appropriate for the countries of the region and that while the Islamic republic was militarily strong and enjoyed political independence, it believed in having good relations with all countries, particularly its neighbors. Referring to the Saudi ambassador’s remarks, Borujerdi said, “they were the policies of the US and Israel that were expounded by the Saudi ambassador.” He continued, If Saudi Arabia had not made its historic mistake by invading Bahrain, the current tensions would not have come about.”

Tensions Began with Bahrain

Following protests in Bahrain that were launched primarily by the Shiite majority of the country on February 14, armed forces of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates Qatar and Kuwait entered Bahrain to help it control the situation at the invitation of Bahrain’s ruling al-Khalifa family.

The intervention of this force into Bahrain brought about a rare response from Iranian political and military authorities, while the Iranian Majlis said, “Saudi Arabia and the UAE were playing with fire.”

This resulted in a war of words between Iran and Saudi Arabia, each criticizing the other over its regional policy.

Kuwait’s announcement of uncovering an Iranian spy ring in the kingdom only added fuel to the fire weakening whatever trust exists between the Islamic republic and the Arab countries to the south of the Persian Gulf.

The Threatening Remarks of the Saudi Ambassador in Egypt

The commander of Iran’s army announced two days ago that special units had been deployed along the borders of the country while Mohammad Pakpour the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) army declared that the responsibility of establishing security in north-west and south-east of Iran rested with the IRGC. Pakpour’s references are to the borders with Turkey and Iraq in the west and Pakistan to the south-east.

It is said that the deployment of these units on Iran’s borders are aimed improving the control of border crossings and the possible military and para-military provocations there.

IN recent months, rapidly changing events have been growing in the Middle Eastern Arabian countries which have raised concerns because of their destabilizing effects on the region.

Regarding Bahrain, Saudi ambassador al-Qattan said, “Discussing Bahrain leads us to talk about Iran. Unfortunately Iranian schemes in the Gulf never end. To this very day, they live the illusion of a Persian empire.” He also said that the security of any of the Gulf States was a red line for Saudi Arabia, adding, “We in Saudi Arabia have suffered from Iran. Let me remind you that in 1986 or 1987, Iran invaded Saudi airspace twice. We warned them, and when it happened the third time, we downed both their planes.”

The Danger of a Major Invasion in the Middle East

As relations between the Islamic republic and the Persian Gulf littoral states have deteriorated in recent months, Ruhollah Hosseinian, a principlist MP (which supports the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) on Monday proposed that Iran should be thinking about the military option to confront Saudi armed forces in Bahrain.

Speaking with Khabar Online, this hardline security related personality said, “Those who say that the Iranian foreign policy apparatus has fallen behind the events in the region, are correct. We should have taken a harder posture against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and the massive killing of Bahrain’s Muslims and we should have taken an international posture over this.”

“We too should prepare our armed forces and not allow Saudi borders to get close to us,” he warned.

Another MP Hassan Ghafoorifard, however spoke against the military option. Speaking to Aftab website he said, “The decision to use armed forces regarding Bahrain rest with the supreme commander (i.e., ayatollah Khamenei), the vali faghih , and if he makes that determination then it shall certainly be implemented.” He further said that the use of military force by Iran would inflame the Middle East in a big way, throwing its future into uncertainty.

In its March meeting, the Gulf Cooperative Council accused the Islamic republic of instigating the ethnic differences in Bahrain and engaging in acts against the members of the council. The US also accuses Iran of similar interference and destabilizing policies and behavior. While visiting Saudi Arabia last week, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington had evidence that Tehran was trying to interfere in the affairs of Bahrain.