It’s clear that Saudi Arabia has played an important role in the global shift away from American dominance resulting from the failure of the U.S.-Israeli war to force Iran’s capitulation. In part, that’s a function of Riyadh’s tight relationship with Islamabad. One indication of that was the statement that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued on May 6 in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s suspension of the so-called “Project Freedom.”
“President Trump’s gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period,” Sharif wrote in the second of three paragraphs.
Now, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, who headed Saudi intelligence for two decades and also briefly served as Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and U.K., has provided a glimpse into Riyadh’s behind-the-scenes effort to resolve the conflict diplomatically, in an article published on May 9 in Arab News. “While the flies of social media buzzed and shouted, the Kingdom was measured, patient, and active. While the cheerleaders beat their drums, the Kingdom managed affairs carefully and weighed its options. The evidence is before us,” he writes.
“When Iran and others tried to drag the Kingdom into the furnace of destruction, our leadership chose to endure the pains caused by a neighbor in order to protect the lives and property of its citizens. Had the Kingdom wanted, and it is capable of doing so, to respond in kind to Iran by destroying Iranian facilities and interests, the outcome could have been the destruction of Saudi oil facilities and desalination plants along the Arabian Gulf coast, and even deep inside the Kingdom,” Turki wrote. “Had the Israeli plan to ignite war between us and Iran succeeded, the region would have been plunged into ruin and destruction. Thousands of our sons and daughters would have been lost in a battle in which we had no stake. Israel would have succeeded in imposing its will on the region and remained the only actor in our surroundings.”
In the middle of this was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, through whose wisdom “the Kingdom avoided the horrors of war and its devastating repercussions. Indeed, together with Pakistan, it is now extinguishing the fire of fighting, helping prevent escalation, and giving advocates of peace hope that they can feel reassured about the lives of their loved ones and the safety of their interests.
“As for the advocates of war, they continue in their arrogance and cawing, perhaps unaware that the rug has been pulled from under their feet.”
