Iran-Saudi clash turns regional

The severe diplomatic crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia turned regional on Monday. Bahrain and Sudan fell in line with Saudi Arabia and cut diplomatic ties with Iran. The United Arab Emirates, for now, settled for recalling its ambassador from Tehran.

This drastic falling out between the absolutist Sunni monarchy and the Shiite republic is causing a major headache for the West, which failed to take this scenario, which is highly detrimental to the war against the Islamic State group, into account.

The Arab League will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting on the matter. Russia has already offered to mediate between the sides; Germany has called on both countries to renew reinstate diplomatic relations; and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the phone Monday with the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers. This is all the West needs at the moment: to be held hostage by the Sunni-Shiite conflict.

It was naive to think that the nuclear deal with Iran would solve the region's problems. Quite the opposite: While it brought Iran back into the fold of the family of nations, it alienated Saudi Arabia and its Gulf state partners, who see the nuclear deal as a threat. They may very well find themselves in the bad-guy camp, while Iran sits with the good guys. This is one of the consequences of the reshuffled Middle Eastern deck to which U.S. President Barack Obama has lent his hand.

In the West, along with Russia and China, diplomats are sparing no effort to lower the flames. This crisis can spin out of control because Tehran and Riyadh are quick to mobilize the street. What we have here is a centuries-old religious conflict, which is especially potent because of the religious aspect. Emotions on both sides run extremely high. On one side is Saudi Arabia, which safeguards the Islamic holy sites, and on the other side a revolutionary Islamic republic that has managed to survive and even expand its sphere of influence.

This is a clash between two regional powers who both aspire for regional dominance. It is a head-on collision between Saudi Arabia and Iran, between Sunni and Shiites. It is also a clash between Arabs and Persians. In other words, all the elements of a conflagration are in place, which is precisely why we will likely see concerted diplomatic efforts in the coming days to lower the temperature -- until the next encounter. Diplomats want to shoot this conflict with a tranquilizer dart, because it is entirely uncertain that a cure exists. The war against Islamic State gives both sides an excuse to stand down -- if that's what Saudi Arabia even wants.

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