VietPress USA (Nov. 6th, 2017): According to a report from knoema.com, on January 04, 2016 - Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday and gave all Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the kingdom, as escalating tensions over the execution of an outspoken Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia on Saturday marked a new low in relations between the two Middle Eastern powers. The announcement by Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, during a televised news conference followed harsh criticism by Iranian leaders of the Saudis’ execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and protesters' storming of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.
- The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Saudi Arabia would face divine vengeance for the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a day after protesters ransacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.
- Saudi Arabia, which put the cleric to death in a mass execution of 47 men accused of terrorism-related offenses, fired back, saying Iran had “revealed its true face represented in support for terrorism.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran are historic foes. Saudi, being predominantly Sunni, and Iran, being the center of Shiite Islam, consider themselves as the champions of their own respective religions. While they have had no direct armed confrontations, they have engaged in numerous diplomatic squabbles. Diplomatic tensions deepened when Saudi openly gave its support to the rebels fighting the Assad regime in Syria, a regime long considered Iran’s closest ally.
Iran has been undeterred by the economic and military isolation under US-led sanctions from becoming militarily independent, spending years developing ingenious weapons systems and raising an army almost three times the size of Saudi Arabia’s military. Iran's superficial military advantages are mitigated somewhat by Saudi's technological superiority.
- The Iranian army is equipped with numerous locally-developed Zulfiqar tanks. Saudi Arabia’s tank arsenal is smaller but comprised mostly of the technologically-superior and battle-tested American M1 Abrams.
- Iran's sizable air force is equipped with an ageing fleet of F-14 Tomcats. In contrast, Saudi Arabia's air force is among the most formidable countries in the Middle East with its arsenal of F-15s and Eurotyphoons and potential future addition of the coveted US F-35 Multi-Role Joint Strike Fighter.
- The Iranian navy also has numerical superiority. However, numerical superiority is hardly synonymous with overall power. Saudi Arabia’s navy, roughly one fifth of the size of Iran’s navy, is well equipped with technologically-advanced ships and naval aircraft.
Escalation of military tensions between the two countries could further undermine security throughout the region and spook global oil markets just as Iran is set to boost its oil production.
Lebanon is supported by Iran and it is now Saudi Arabia claims that Lebanon with strong supports from Iran just declares war on Saudi Arabia. If the war happens at this moment, it may break to the World War III. Read this news from Aljazeera news at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/saudi-arabia-lebanon-declaring-war-171107054322565.html
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Video:Saudi Arabia claims Lebanon has declares war against it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1DI-B3nWU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1DI-B3nWU
Saudi Arabia says Lebanon 'declaring war' against it
Saudi Arabia has accused the Lebanese government of declaring war against it because of Hezbollah's "aggression", further escalating an already tense situation threatening to destabilise Lebanon.
The risk of an open-ended political crisis has loomed large over Lebanon's fragile stability since Saudi-allied Saad Hariri quit as prime minister on Saturday, blaming Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for "sowing strife" in the region.
The unexpected move has also stoked fears of an escalation in the regional divide between Iran and the Gulf states, primarily Saudi Arabia, with Lebanon on the front lines.
Thamer al-Sabhan, the Saudi minister for Gulf affairs, said on Monday that Lebanon's government would "be dealt with as a government declaring war on Saudi Arabia" because of what he described as "acts of aggression" committed by Hezbollah.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Sabhan said Hezbollah was involved in every "terrorist act" that threatened Saudi Arabia.
"The Lebanese must choose between peace or aligning with Hezbollah," he added, without offering any details about what action Riyadh might take against Beirut.
There was no immediate response from Lebanon.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Lebanon's capital, Beirut, said the "strong language" used by Saudi officials was described by some analysts as "unprecedented".
"People are concerned ... [by] the very tough rhetoric," she said.
'Two camps'
Hariri, a Sunni politician and longtime ally of the Gulf Kingdom, announced his resignation from the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
His decision brought down Lebanon's coalition government, which included members of Hezbollah.
"Lebanon is divided into two similar [camps]," political analyst Khaldoun El Charif told Al Jazeera.
"One is pro-Iran and the other is pro-Saudi, which means if things get worse it could lead to a confrontation between the two parties like what happened [in the past]," he added.
"That is why we need to find a solution."
But the constitutional process to appoint a new prime minister has been put on hold, with Lebanon's Justice Minister Salim Jreissati saying there will be no action taken until Hariri returns from Saudi Arabia.
"We have been told by the president that we won't take any decision before knowing the circumstances of Hariri's resignation from the prime minister himself," Jreissati told reporters.
Al Jazeera's Khodr said "it will be hard to find" a political figure to replace Hariri.
"According to Lebanon's power-sharing deal, he must be a Sunni Muslim, and if internal stability is to be maintained he must be a consensual figure able to bring the rival parties together," added Khodr.
"Clearly, the political crisis has now worsened and people are worried that it's going to be a prolonged political paralysis in the country."
In a televised speech announcing his decision to step down, Hariri said he believed he faced threats to his life.
He also called out Iran for sowing "disorder and destruction" in Lebanon, and criticised Hezbollah, which has members in government and parliament as well as an armed wing, for building "a state within a state".
"I say to Iran and its allies - you have lost in your efforts to meddle in the affairs of the Arab world," Hariri said, adding that the region "will rise again and the hands that you have wickedly extended into it will be cut off."
In response, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday called Hariri's resignation a "Saudi-imposed decision".
"It was not our wish for Hariri to resign," he said in a televised appearance on the Hezbollah-owned Al Manar TV.
"Even if he was forced to resign, the way in which it was executed does not reflect Hariri's way in dealing with things," Nasrallah added, questioning the text of Hariri's speech broadcast during his visit to Riyadh.
In his interview with Al Arabiya on Monday, Saudi's Sabhan rejected that the Kingdom had forced Hariri to resign.
"Talk about Hariri being pushed to resign is a lie and aims at distracting the Lebanese people," he said.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS
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