Sputnik - Qatar appears to have decided to improve its relationship with Iran in a bid to gain leverage in its relations with Saudi Arabia, political analyst Ahmet Kasim Han told Sputnik Turkey, commenting on the recent spat between Riyadh and Doha.





Relations between�Riyadh and Doha had taken a major hit last week after�state-run Qatari news agency QNA published controversial comments attributed to�Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

News articles quoted al-Thani as�saying, among�other things, that Iran is an "Islamic power" that has played a positive role in�stabilizing the region. In addition, the Qatari emir supposedly described relations with�Israel as "good" and called Hamas the "legitimate representative of�the Palestinian people," while criticizing Saudi Arabia and the United States for�their policies in�the Middle East.

Qatari officials later said that QNA's website and media accounts were hacked, saying that al-Thani's comments were fabricated, but�some have remained unconvinced.

Ahmet Kasim Han, who teaches at�Kadir Has University, mentioned three reasons behind�the current tensions in�the Gulf. These are the fact that Qatar has provided assistance to�the Muslim Brotherhood; news items with�quotes attributed to�al-Thani and the "olive branch that Qatar has extended to�Iran in�a bid to�tackle the pressure exerted by�Saudi Arabia."
"This is seen as�a maneuver intended to�weaken Saudi diplomacy and the anti-Iranian bloc established in�the Persian Gulf," he said.


The increasingly strained relations between�Saudi Arabia and Qatar would have a limited effect on�the Syrian crisis, the analyst added.

"The conflict in�Syria has been driven by�its internal dynamic and outside�processes. This crisis in�the bilateral relationship is neither able to�bring peace in�Syria closer nor capable of�postponing it. It is also unable to�drastically alter the balance of�power in�the country. Groups supported by�Qatar and Saudi Arabia are not well-positioned to�have an impact on�the outcome of�the Syrian conflict," political analyst Ahmet Kasim Han said.

Faik Bulut, an expert on�the Middle East, maintains that President Bashar al-Assad could benefit from�the row between�Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
"Syria would be affected [by the spat] since�increasingly warm relations between�Qatar and Iran would lead to�a rapprochement with�Syria. In such a case, Qatar would withdraw those groups and organizations which it has sponsored in�Syria. Since Jordan has largely shared Qatar's stance, it could also adopt a more passive approach toward�Syria," Faik Bulut, an expert on�the Middle East, told Sputnik Turkey.


The analyst did not rule out�that Saudi Arabia could take measures targeted against�Qatar, including a false flag attack. Riyadh could also ask Washington to�exert pressure on�Doha, he added, saying that this is an "extremely complicated situation."