The Saudis made a big PR mistake (as well as being a horrible crime, to be clear) by killing Khashoggi. The Saudis are making a potentially lethal mistake if they drive Qatar into Iran's arms.
The Saudis and Egyptians announced their economic blockade of Qatar will continue until demands that include "[shutting] down the Al Jazeera media network, expelling Turkish
troops from the country, cutting off ties with Iran, and making
reparation payments to the [blockading states that include Bahrain and the UAE]" are met.
The Saudis and UAE provide the cash, naval power, and air power while Egypt provides the land muscle reserve. Bahrain simply lives in fear of Iran.
Qatar, which hosts an American air base and command facility, has not budged and has reached out to Turkey more for economic ties.
I'm not particularly happy with Qatar's ties with Iran. Nor am I happy with increased relations with the increasingly problematic Turkey.
But I'm not sure what the end game is for the Saudi pressure campaign.
It just seems like a Sicilian Expedition that erodes Saudi focus on Iran, which is the real enemy, by attacking a mere trading partner of that real enemy.
Luckily, our relations with Qatar and the Saudis will keep the Saudi campaign from driving Qatar into Iran's arms, I think.
UPDATE: Qatar will withdraw from OPEC.
About Me
- Brian J. Dunn
- I live and write in Ann Arbor, Michigan. University of Michigan AB and MA from Eastern Michigan University. One term in the Michigan Army National Guard. Former American history instructor and retired nonpartisan research analyst. I write on Blogger and Substack. Various military and private journals have published my occasional articles on military subjects. See "My Published Works" on the TDR web version or under the mobile version drop-down menu for citations and links.
