Saudi Arabia's Iran Strategy Shows Differentiation: Privately Urges US for Tough Stance, Publicly Still Avoids Direct Confrontation

BlockBeats News, March 16th. According to The New York Times, during the current US-Iran conflict, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has had multiple phone calls with US President Donald Trump, urging the US to continue a tough stance against Iran. This position is seen as a continuation of the "cut off the head of the snake" strategy previously advocated by the late Saudi King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

However, at a public level, the Gulf states as a whole remain cautious. During recent discussions with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Salman stated that Iran's attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries pose a serious threat to regional security, but the GCC countries will prioritize maintaining regional stability.

Despite the conflict having lasted for about two weeks and Iran having launched over 2,000 missiles and drones at the Gulf region, Gulf countries have not planned a direct retaliatory strike against Iran. Multiple sources indicate that countries are concerned that direct engagement may trigger larger-scale retaliation and have unpredictable consequences on the post-war regional landscape.

Analysis suggests that the current strategy adopted by Gulf countries involves supporting the containment of Iran's influence on one hand and avoiding direct involvement in war as much as possible on the other, demonstrating the intricate dynamics at play in the current Middle Eastern situation.