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Iran’s Initiative to Mediate between Syria & Saudi Arabia will be Rejected – Political Scientists

Politics Materials 24 April 2008 21:13 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 24 April / Trend corr D. Khatinoglu, R. Hafizoglu/ Teheran's wish to mediate between Syria and Saudi Arabia may remain as a proposal only as the two countries are not interested in Iran's initiative. "Saudi Arabia will not accept Iran's proposal on mediation," Hossein Lajivardi, Iranian political scientist residing in Paris said.

"Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shabani said that his country is read to mediate in removing the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Syria," Israeli MIGNEWS reported on 23 April.

"Official Teheran offered mediation between Syria and Saudi Arabia and thus wanted to demonstrate its honour in the region," Hossein Lajivardi, chairman of Association of Iranian Researchers, said to Trend in a telephone conversation on 24 April. He said that Syria is moving towards negotiations with Israel and is getting far from Iran day by day. 

"Iran tries to attract Syria by offering help to it. On the other hand, Iran stresses that it is ready to help top Riyadh also. However, solving the disputes on-going between Syria and Saudi Arabia is of little importance for both the countries and Iran's proposal will not attract them. Iran's foreign policy faced a crisis and all countries in the region avoid expansion of cooperation with the country," Lajivardi said.

"Through its offer to mediate Iran is an intention to approach Saudi Arabia," Hosni Mahalli, independent Syrian political scientist, said to Trend via e-mail. Iran's mediation mission between Saudi Arabia and Syria will not yield results, he said.

"Iran's mediation is only in favour of Syria and official Tehran's mediation initiative was based on Damascus's proposals," Mahalli said by electronic mail from Istanbul on 24 April. According to expert, by making this proposal Iran want to strengthen its political authority in the region which contradicts Saudi Arabia and positions of the countries interested in the region. 

A professor from Saudi Arabia, who wished to keep his/her name anonymous, believes that his country will not accept mediation mission of Iran. "Iran, guilty of the political crisis in Lebanon, wants to cheat countries in the region by offering its mediation," the professor said to Trend by electronic mail from Riyadh d on 24 April.

The professor of King Saud University believes that Syria, unlike Saudi Arabia, will accept Iran's proposal on mediation. "At present, Syria is isolated from the Arab world. The key reason is that Syria, as an Arab country, prefers not the policy of Arabic people, but that of Iran who puts its political and national interests above religious and human values," he said.

Syria states that Iran's wish to mediate between Syria and Saudi Arabia will not be fulfilled.

The presidential elections in Lebanon were postponed for 17 times and the country is experiencing political crisis at present. Saudi Arabia accuses Syria of supporting Mishel Oun, the representative of Hezbollah movement and creating obstacles for the elections. On the other hand, Syria, a close ally of Iran in the region, accuses Riyadh of isolating Damascus from the Arabic countries.

The correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]

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