Are Iran and Saudi Arabia on the edge of war?

Yesterday, Iran sent the destroyer ‘Bushehr’ and the cruiser ‘Barz’ to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The Iranian Defense Ministry said the deployment was part of efforts to enforce maritime security and protect the interests of the Islamic Republic in international waters.

Saudi Arabia – the leader of the coalition fighting against the rebels in Yemen – responded to Iran’s initiative yesterday evening. Saudi Arabian Brigadier-General Ahmed Asiri stated that the coalition would not allow Iranian ships to enter Yemeni waters. The coalition accuses Iran of interfering in the conflict as a supporter of the Houthis (rebels).

Vladimir Sazhin, senior scientist of the Center for Studies of the Near and Middle East of the RAS Institute of Oriental Studies, noted that the situation in Yemen was a fight between the Sunni center of Saudi Arabia and the Shiite center of Iran. In his opinion, Iran would hardly go for aggravation of the situation or direct confrontation with the forces of Saudi Arabia. Iran’s position is more demonstrative. An open clash would be an over-extraordinary event both Tehran and Riyadh would avoid, believes the expert.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, the president of the Institute of the Middle East, shares these doubts, because Saudi Arabia cannot afford a direct fight with Iran, risking being wiped from the face of the Earth. Iran, the analyst goes on, may even dare blackmail Saudi Arabia. Satanovsky claims that Iranian ships should enter the territorial waters to demonstrate its fearlessness to Saudi threats.

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Andrey Baklanov, deputy head of the Council of the Association of Russian Diplomats, noted that the messages were reflecting previous warnings. In his opinion, the decisions of the Arab League were ill-considered, unbalanced, harsh and taken to suppress Shiites, resulting in civilian deaths. Iran, Baklanov supposes, will have to interfere. In other words, the expert fears that the logic of pressurizing Iran is unwise and will only result in counterproductive consequences.

Before any regular confrontation has happened, the parties involved should employ the potential of the UN Security Council and prevent mass clashes that may affect large countries and bring mass war to the region.

Yesterday, Iran sent destroyer ‘Bushehr’ and cruiser ‘Barz’ to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The Iranian Defense Ministry motivated the dispatch with efforts to enforce maritime security and protect interests of the Islamic Republic in the international waters.Saudi Arabia – the leader of the coalition fighting against rebels in Yemen – responded to Iran’s initiative last evening. Saudi Arabian Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri stated that the coalition would not allow Iranian ships to enter the Yemeni waters. The coalition accuses Iran of interfering in the conflict as a supporter of the Houthis (rebe