Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey Predictions that events in Saudi Arabia will be key to regional developments in 2016 have much merit. A number of analyses and New Year predictions have centered lately on what events might happen during 2016 involving Saudi Arabia. Certainly, several recent events might lead to such conclusions, to wit: […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Egypt’s foreign minister on Jan. 4 confirmed Cairo’s continued solidarity with Saudi Arabia after the kingdom cut ties to Iran. “We reject Iranian interference in the internal affairs of the kingdom,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the press while meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Riyadh. “We made a […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Teheran’s UN envoy on Jan. 4 issues a statement of “regret” for the attacks on Saudi diplomatic facilities in Iran. Gholamali Khoshroo, in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said Iran “will take necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future.” Iranians protesting Saudi’s execution of outspoken […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Some 1,000 troops from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have been deployed to Saudi Arabia. The troops, mostly from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, were sent to Saudi’s southern border with Yemen for a border security operation against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The rebels have launched several missiles at the Saudi southern […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Bahrain and Sudan on Jan. 4 followed Saudi Arabia’s lead in cutting diplomatic ties with Iran. United Arab Emirates said it would also downgrade its ties to Teheran. The escalating tensions between Saudi and Iran came after Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric. Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Teheran […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Oct. 8: Saudi King Salman, said to suffer from dementia, was hospitalized after “he went crazy” and attempted to injure himself, sources said. Arabic-language al-Ahd news agency reported on Oct. 8 that the 79-year-old Salman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) section of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. Sources […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Saudi Arabia of “divine vengeance” over the execution of an opposition Shi’ite cleric, while Riyadh accused Tehran of supporting terrorism — escalating their criticism of each other just hours after protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Saudi […]
Special to WorldTribune.com The director-general of Israel’s foreign ministry, in an unprecedented interview granted to a Saudi news outlet, commented on Iran’s fomenting of “anarchy” in the Middle East, red lines in Syria and common interests with Arab states. In the interview with Saudi-owned Elaph online newspaper, Dore Gold said Iran is attempting to gain […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Islam has a PR problem and two days after Christmas, two major leaders on opposite side of the yawning Sunni-Shia schism addressed it openly. Iranian President Hassan Rohani in a Dec. 27 address at an Islamic conference in Teheran said “it is our greatest duty today to correct the image of Islam […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi Patriot missile batteries on Dec. 21 intercepted a missile fired from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses stopped the missile from reaching the kingdom’s southern Jazan district. “Air forces immediately destroyed the launch pad inside Yemen,” the coalition said. At least two other missiles have […]