Israel and Saudi Arabia form alliance against Iran
The Sunday Times reported in London Nov 17 one of the worst kept secrets in diplomatic, military and intelligence circles across the Middle East, Europe, Russia and in Washington; that
Israel and Saudi Arabia have formed an alliancein all but name to thwart the Islamic Republic of
Iranfrom developing a nuclear bomb.
Riyadh is reported to have agreed to opening up Saudi airspace and Saudi air bases for an Israeli operation to take out Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The cooperation would also involve the
use of Saudi airbasesby Israeli drones, aerial tankers and rescue helicopters. The helicopters would be used for plucking downed Israeli pilots out of the Persian Gulf and/or incursions into Iran to rescue downed Israeli pilots inside Iran.
Both nations’ governments have been sounding warnings to both Washington and the UN Security Council (UNSC), that Iran has been feigning peaceful intentions for its nuclear program and is simply stalling for time with negotiations in order to process as much weapons grade uranium for multiple nuclear warheads.
The disagreement on Iran between Washington and
Israelhas been well known and has burst out in the open on more than one occasion.
However, little noticed until recently was the looming rift between Riyadh and Washington over Pres. Barack Obama's appeasement of Syria and Iran which has finally manifested itself in a nearly complete severance of relations.
The Saudi government like that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has come to the realization that Pres. Obama has no intentions of thwarting Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions and in fact, seems determined that Iran achieve those ambitions when Obama's actions are assessed over his words.
For example,
Obama quietly lifted sanctions on Iran via executive actions not long after the election of so called moderate Iranian Pres. Hassan Rouhani in June 2013.
General Motors also recently was caught red handed negotiating car sales in the Islamic Republic, though GM denies any such meeting took place. Four newly built Chevrolet Camaros were however, flown to Tehran.
Considering the
$95 billion personal fortune of Iran’s Ayatollah Khameni, it’s not hard to conclude these cars were delivered to his inner circle or perhaps to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family who are thought to be in Tehran and known for high affluent tastes in western luxury products.
One week ago, it appeared that Pres. Obama was all set to unconditionally surrender and allow Iran to proceed full steam with nuclear weapons development while also lifting sanctions entirely. That surrender was
thwarted by the government of France after French legislator Meyer Habib told France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
'Israel will attack Iran if you sign the deal'.
Israel and Saudi Arabia are thought to be bitter enemies. The two nations do not have any official diplomatic relations and Saudi school text books do not even acknowledge the existence of Israel.
However, there have been unofficial military and intelligence contacts between the two governments for decades and that fact is well known among most governments in the world though not publicly discussed.
Maintaining such secrecy works out well for both nations security concerns and the Saudi royal family has never been keen on stirring the pot of Shiite radicalism within the Kingdom by pouring ‘gas’ on the centerpiece of their Islamist narrative, genocidal anti-Semitism.
Obama’s maneuvering with Iran are seen in Riyadh as against Saudi national interests and have forced the hand of 'House Saud'. Aside from the obvious differences between Shiite ruled Iran and Sunni ruled Saudi Arabia there is also an ethnic divide and nationalism at work.
Iranians are ethnic Persian and Iran was once called, Persia. Saudis are Arabs who are far more aware of their ancient history apparently than any of the ‘alleged’ U.S. State Department Middle East experts.
The Saudis are well aware that ancient Persia achieved the conquest and subjugation of the Middle East before moving far to the west of the Suez; and that Iran’s Islamist Mullahs seek to be the successors to their Persian ancestors.
For Israel, the national interest is crystal clear. Thwart Iran’s nuclear weapons program or risk annihilation. Pres. Obama has acted as an obstacle to Israel in this regard as part of his informal alliance with Iran, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and the terrorist army of Hezbollah to Israel’s north with Israel being the prime target in the cross hairs of this alliance.
With Israel having previously needed to rely on Washington to coax Turkey or perhaps Iraq to allow Israeli over flight for an Iran strike, Pres. Obama wielded the ability to block such a strike. Saudi Arabia breaking with Washington and forming an alliance with Israel officially or unofficially alters entirely, the Iran equation. Never mind having produced the most ironic if not most major geopolitical 'tectonic shifts' in
