Saturday 16 Oct.2021

Arman Melli: Tips on reviving Saudi Arabia’s relations with Iran

International affairs analyst Fereydoun Majlesi wrote in a note in Arman Melli newspaper: “Revival of Barjam (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is the driving force behind the revival of Iran-Saudi relations. If Tehran and the Raisi government continue to negotiate with the 4 + 1 and the United States to revive the JCPOA undoubtedly, Saudi Arabia will take a faster step towards reviving relations with Iran, as it will both reduce the economic and security costs for Riyadh in the Yemeni war, and this de-escalation could lead to further concessions for the Saudis on other issues. That the United States and European countries, whether under Hassan Rouhani or in the government of Ebrahim Raisi, have failed to bring the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table to revive Barjam, There may have probably been attempted to do this through other means, namely reviving normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia. “Because it is not about the government of Hassan Rouhani, Ebrahim Raisi or any reformist or fundamentalist president, but about the sovereignty and the system …”

“The normalization of Iran-Saudi relations does not mean the end of the rivalry between the two countries in the Middle East, but it means the proper and rational management of this rivalry. In a more accurate sense, it should be said that the revival of Iran-Saudi relations means managing the consequences and destructive effects as well as trying to reduce the human, security, diplomatic, logistical and military costs of the Tehran-Riyadh rivalry in West Asia. Even the countries of the region, from Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine to the Qataris, Emiratis and other countries themselves, directly or indirectly, have suffered from Iran-Saudi rivalries and proxy wars. So if Iran-Saudi Arabia relations are normalized, the two sides will move towards a kind of competition management, given what has happened in the last few years, to impose less costs on them and on the region as a whole. Iran has reached a point where it has to sell oil to India and get rice in exchange, give oil to Sri Lanka, get tea in return, and … Is this what the Iranian nation and people deserve?! All of this requires free banking and the lifting of the sanctions. … “

Recently, the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of talks on improving relations with Iran, and some Iranian officials have predicted that the embassies of the two countries will be reopened in the coming months.

Jomhouri Eslami: Alarm sounded on sixth wave of the coronavirus

The Jomhouri Eslami newspaper initially considered to be a conservative daily but now sounds somewhat pro-reform, wrote on its front page about a new wave of corona disease: While declining corona casualties over the past few days had revived hopes of getting through the difficult corona days, the sudden reversal of the epidemic has sounded the alarm for the early arrival of the sixth wave of the corona.

In the meantime, with the reduction of restrictions and the resumption of cross-border and intercity trips, the observance of health procedures has significantly decreased, which has resulted in a 20% increase in infections and hospitalizations in recent days, so that in some provinces there is concern about the beginning of the new wave… “

The newspaper also writes: “The country’s health officials had promised that students will be able to attend the classrooms in universities and schools from November, but now, by less observation of the protocols and ignoring the social distance and wearing masks, in case the sixth wave starts the planning for students to attend classes will be thwarted after two years.

Jomhouri Eslami also noted: “At the same time, following the increase in the number of coronas cases, the Minister of the Interior, referring to the meeting of the National Headquarters against Corona, criticized the failure to observe health protocols and said that the observance of the protocols has reached about 45%.” “On the other hand, there is concern about the outbreak of the sixth wave, so all people should be careful not to be affected by the sixth wave. If this care is not taken, we will enter the next wave and will face many dilemmas.”

Shargh: Intra-factional disputes kicks off?

“Criticism of the way the country is run under an Osoolgara Principlist government has increased these days with the fever of the presidential election going down. This was accompanied by the Principlists’ silence in the face of appointment and dismissal of managers,” Shargh newspaper wrote in an article appearing on page two of the paper. For some time now, the voice of incoherence in criticizing the status quo has been heard from the heart of the fundamentalist faction in power; the only important point is that it is not clear who the addressees of these criticisms are! Majlis speaker said in remarks last week: “Our main problem is in governance. The problem is not money and lack of facilities. We have to devote time and energy on these principles.” 

Has the habit of government managers been considered before, or is the managerial weakness of the fundamentalists not to be criticized along with responsibility ?! “

Earlier, some newspapers and analysts had said that the government’s honeymoon would come to an end soon and that it could no longer put the blame on the previous government. Demands, criticisms, and objections within the pro-president faction have increased recently, and expectations from his government are rising.

Criticism of the managers, especially at a time that the entire management and the  governance is in the hands of the Principlists, raises the question of whether the target is still managers of the previous government or the managerial weakness of the fundamentalists is not to be criticized while they have taken office?!