TEHRAN - A professor of political science and a member of the Division of Global Affairs faculty at Rutgers University, says like other alliances the Gulf Cooperation Council suffers from frictions.

For example, Simon F. Reich, says NATO members “disagree about many issues” including “support for the Kurds”.

Kurds have proven the most efficient force against the terrorist Daesh group since it captured large swaths of land in Syria and Iraq.

“The U.S. is arming them (Kurds), Turkey considers them a terrorist network,” he notes.  He adds, “Similarly the GCC has been wrought by tensions for many years.”

The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

Led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar on May 5 for its support to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and relations with Iran.

“The current discussions and ensuing developments have merely served to bring those tensions to the forefront,” explains Reich whose current work focuses on U.S. grand strategy in the 21st century.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain even closed their sea, air, land routes to Qatar.

Reich says Qatar as a small state with natural resources, enormous financial reserves and a “talented diplomatic service” has “adeptly balanced” its relationship with Iran and the Persian Gulf Arab states.

Nader Entessar, a Middle East expert from South Alabama University, is of the opinion that Saudi Arabia sees the rapid rise of Qatar as a threat to its hegemony in the Arab world.

“Saudi Arabia has long viewed Qatar's ascendancy as a threat to its hegemonic designs in the Arab world,” Nader Entessar told the Tehran Times on June 6.

 ‘Pentagon willing to fuel tension with Russia’

The professor also says the Pentagon is somehow willing to fuel tension with Russia which has been supporting the Syrian government against armed opposition groups and is being accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

“America’s political leadership in the Pentagon regard Russia as America’s greatest threat and will be willing to increase tension with them if necessary.”

On Thursday, the Senate voted nearly unanimously for legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia, a move which is not welcomed by the Trump administration.

“The White House staff prefer a more cooperative approach,” he noted.

The political science professor also says, “The results of the current investigations about Russian involvement in the election will do a lot to sway American public opinion, and therefore American policy towards Russia – from the Arctic to the Baltics to the Black Sea and Middle East”

Reich also says Saudi Arabia and Iran are competing for influence in the Middle East. “Both sides have maneuvered for regional dominance, although those efforts are inevitably complicated by America’s, Britain’s, France and even Israel’s engagement in the region.”

He is also pessimistic about a thaw in tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iran and Saudi Arabia support opposite sides in Syria. Iran has also been a vocal critic of the Saudi war on Yemen and its suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Bahrain.

“Viewed from outside the region, there appears little prospect of a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran while both pursue their current strategies. But, as most of us in the West soon discover, the Middle East is a complex place and making assumptions about what will happen is often humbling. Our common assumptions are often proven wrong and – just occasionally – either ideals or pragmatism can lead to unanticipated positive developments.”

However, he says it is possible that “Iran’s reelected leadership or the Saudi’s will decide to embark on a policy of engagement in search of greater regional stability.”

PA/PA