29 Mar 2024
Sputnik News- Commenting on the diplomatic row in the Middle East, where seven countries have severed their diplomatic ties with Qatar, Russian political analysts suggested that Doha could stop providing financial support to Sunni radicals in Syria, but this is still a far cry from any rapprochement with Russia, despite its much criticized closer ties to Iran.

Seven countries ofthe region, namely Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives keep mounting their pressure onQatar overits support ofterrorism, meddling ininternal affairs and growing rapprochement withIran.

The conflict betweenQatar and its neighbors occurred one week afterthe Arab Islamic American Summit inRiyadh, which took place May 20-21, when a Qatari news agency posted a speech onbehalf ofthe country's emir insupport ofbuilding relations withIran.

However atthe summit, Saudi Arabia, onbehalf ofall the guests, condemned Iran forits hostile policies and threatened it withan adequate response.

Later, the official representative ofthe Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency's site was hacked, and that the speech onbehalf ofthe emir was published byhackers and has nothing todo withthe Qatari leader.

However, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain considered this refutation tobe unconvincing and continued toinsist that the words aboutthe normalization ofrelations withIran were those ofthe emir.

Alexander Filonik, the head ofthe Center forArab and Islamic Studies inthe Institute ofOriental Studies atthe Russian Academy ofSciences, has commented toSputnik onthe regional diplomatic row. He said that the emirate enjoys a double reputation inthe Middle East asit has set againstitself all other regional countries.

Its neighbors are sure, he said, that they are subjects toQatari meddling, partially throughthe broadcasting ofits Al Jazeera channel, partially throughits financing ofcertain political groups.

Throughout last decades, the political analyst said, Qatari authorities have been supporting Sunni Islamists fromthe Muslim Brotherhood.

However Qatar's latest rapprochement withIran has potentially expanded the spectrum ofits support: it now also supports the Shia groups. The move therefore fundamentally changes the geopolitical landscape inthe region.

Meanwhile Alexei Makarkin, an analyst and deputy director atthe Center forPolitical Technologies inMoscow told Sputnik that such Qatar's U-turn towardsIran has caused extreme rejection inthe Sunni society.

"Saudi Arabia is fighting againstIran ontwo fronts inSyria and Yemen. In both cases Qatar formally supports Riyadh. However its covert rapprochement withTehran has caused suspicions ofa double game. And there was an immediate reaction," the political analyst said.

He especially noted that Bahrain, which was the first country tocut offits diplomatic ties withQatar, has special grounds forconcern.

"In this Kingdom, the Sunni minority which is currently inpower, is trying torestrain the Shia majority, which is being supported byIran. During the so-called Arab Spring, Bahrain was inthe middle ofreligious clashes. Qatar's U-turn towardsIran could drastically alter the internal balance inthis very country," Makarkin said.

Saudi Arabia, he said, also has every ground forconcern. Back in2011, there was Shia unrest inthe country. The communities ofthis religious minority are residing inthe Eastern province ofthe country, the site ofmajor oil supplies ofRiyadh.

Shia rebellion inthe country would be able tohit the very heart ofSaudi Arabia.

However Makarkin suggests that Qatar's turn towardsIran and the Shiite is just an "attempt ofdiversification ofits foreign policy ties" and links this geopolitical zigzag withthe personality ofQatar's new Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is trying toforce Doha toabandon its alliance withTehran. Under the influence ofSaudi Arabia, the Libyan government, which controls the east ofthe country and where General Khalifa Haftar plays a key role, has also broken its ties withQatar.

Makarkin also noted that it was no coincidence that the radical anti-Qatari campaign started right afterthe historic trip ofDonald Trump toSaudi Arabia and their record high military agreement aimed at "containment ofIran."

Washington, he said, tries toenclothe its confrontation withTehran intoa project ofthe so-called 'Sunni NATO' or NATO ofthe Persian Gulf, a coalition ofthe Sunni states againstShiites.

Feeling such Trump's support, Riyadh has decided tousher its neighbor tosubmission, he said.

"It is only natural that the broken conflict is now being fuelled bytraditional rivalry ofthe two neighbors. Faithful toits alliance withthe Muslim Brotherhood, the Qatari are supporting the group ofMisrata-based militias, while Riyadh is betting onrival General Khalifa Haftar.

In Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also supporting different Islamist groups. The information policy ofQatari Al Jazeera, which provides ground tothe critics ofSaudi royal family also adds tothe mutual annoyance. Riyadh responds withthe accusations ofQatar's support ofterrorism.

Meanwhile the Russian authorities said that Moscow is interested inmaintaining good relations withall countries inthe Middle Eastern region.

Alexei Makarkin therefore suggested that the conflict withSaudi Arabia might force Qatar tocut its financial support ofthe Sunni radicals inSyria, butthis is still a far cry fromany rapprochement withRussia, despiteits much criticized closer ties toIran.

Habib al-Saig, editor-in chief ofthe United Arab Emirates' newspaper Al Khalidj also commented toSputnik onthe diplomatic row.

"Each country is independent and free. But this freedom does not mean cooperation withIran, incitement tohatred betweenthe Muslims and Christians inEgypt and the right tocall revolutions inEgypt a coup," he told Sputnik Arabic.

It also does not mean the support ofthe Muslim Brotherhood, any ties withDaesh and even Israel, he added. The Middle Eastern countries have long endured Qatar, butnow the choice is either the change inthe policies ofQatar, or the change ofits leadership, he finally stated.
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