New equations in the region

The US administration continues to surprise its allies with its dealings in the region.

From the cautiously optimistic progress in talks with Iran over its nuclear capabilities to the CIA director’s recent comments regarding the need to save institutions in Syria, and the latest statement from Secretary of State John Kerry about the need to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar Assad to achieve a political settlement.

Developments in the region are laying the foundations of a very different future, with the potential for major shifts.

The political impact of any agreement with Iran will be wide ranging, and most likely permanent.

As such, regional players need to begin developing and implementing long-term strategies, with policies that acknowledge that Iran can no longer be dismissed as an enemy.

The changing geopolitical landscape will make a country like Saudi Arabia adjust its objectives, as it can no longer work towards building a Sunni alliance to stand in opposition to Iran.

With the crisis in Syria entering its fifth year now and the attempts to overthrow the regime failed, things appear to be changing.

The general consensus is that the growing terrorism is linked to the instability in the region. This means that addressing the terrorist elements should end the crisis in Syria.

The grave situation in Iraq and the developments in Libya and Yemen have led some countries to change their position on Syria. Syria has become a breeding ground for terrorists who are spreading across the region.

This has made many feel the need for a political settlement in Syria to put an end to the crises and stem the spread of trained and experienced fighters across the region.

There is no longer any sense in aggravating the situation in Syria. In addition to seeking a political solution for Syria, accelerating operations to eliminate Daesh in Iraq would have a positive impact on the situation in Syria as well.

This is particularly important as key players like Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia might agree on Syria but will certainly disagree on the outcome for the region.

The security situation in Iraq and Yemen, along with the political transformation in several countries, created new realities in the region, which needs to respond by adopting new, flexible strategies to cope with the changes.

The Saudi-Turkish rapprochement, based on the two countries’ vision for Syria and opposition to Iran, is less of a deep alliance and more of a temporary understanding.

Turkey can never be an enemy to Iran the way Saudis wish; the Saudi priority is its security, and it tackles this by managing the risks faced by the escalation in Yemen and Iraq.

Arab countries need strategies to end the present crises in the region, not to keep them going.

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