Tuesday, March 31, 2015

As U.S. and Iran Seek Nuclear Deal, Saudi Arabia Makes Its Own Moves

Airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led alliance on Monday hit a weapons storage depot in Sana, Yemen, a city the Iranian-backed Houthi movement controls.
As America talks to Iran, Saudi Arabia is lashing out against it.

The kingdom, Iran’s chief regional rival, is leading airstrikes against an Iranian-backed faction in Yemen; backing a blitz in Idlib, Syria, by jihadists fighting the Iranian-backed Assad regime; and warning Washington not to allow the Iranian-backed militia to capture too much of Iraq during the fight to roll back the Islamic State, according to Arab diplomats familiar with the talks.
 
Through Egypt, a major beneficiary of Saudi aid, the kingdom is backing plans for a combined Arab military force to combat Iranian influence around the region. With another major aid recipient, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia is also expected to step up its efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, potentially setting off an arms race in the region. (Read More)