Trump's refusal to return to war with Iran will 'cost him dearly', Saudi expert claims

Saudi Arabia no longer trusts the U.S. to provide security, according to Saudi analyst Mubarak al-Ati. In an interview on Russia Today TV, Ati stated that former President Donald Trump's reluctance to pursue war and overthrow the Iranian regime will "cost him dearly," characterizing the U.S. president as a "paper tiger."

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It seems that [US President Donald] Trump refuses to return to war and overthrow the Ayatollah's regime. This will cost him dearly.

Ati pointed to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 as the first clear sign of its international decline. While acknowledging the U.S. remains a superpower, he argued its influence has waned significantly over the past decade. This shift, he believes, has created new opportunities for rising powers like India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil to engage with various global forces, not just the U.S.

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The US is still a superpower, but not as it was a decade ago.

The Saudi expert contends that the U.S.'s diminishing global presence has led Gulf States and other Muslim nations to dismiss Trump's calls for joining the Abraham Accords. "Saudi Arabia refrained from being drawn into war and did not stand alongside Israel and the United States, just as it did not stand alongside Iran," Ati said. He asserted that Saudi Arabia is acting as an independent player, not a satellite of Israel or the U.S.

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Saudi Arabia refrained from being drawn into war and did not stand alongside Israel and the United States, just as it did not stand alongside Iran.

Instead, Saudi Arabia is reportedly spearheading a new "Arab-Islamic bloc" that includes Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar, with an announcement expected soon. This bloc, according to Ati, is hindering the Abraham Accords and aims to reduce Israeli influence in regions like Sudan, South Yemen, and Somaliland. Saudi Arabia will not join the Abraham Accords, he stated, as its diplomacy is focused on facilitating a non-violent regional agreement involving Iran and Gulf states, backed by Islamic and international guarantees.

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It has put the brakes on the Abraham Accords and is clearing the region of Israeli presence in Sudan, South Yemen, and Somaliland. Saudi Arabia will not join the Abraham Accords.