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Page added on January 19, 2016
Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Who is to blame for the row?
As tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran continue to escalate, who is to blame for the feud and is there an end in sight? In this episode of UpFront, a close ally to the Iranian president debates a former adviser to the Saudi royal family.
Mehdi Hasan also looks at Latin America beyond the stereotypes, and speaks to a top Human Rights Watch official about the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Syria.
Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Is the Middle East cold war heating up?
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran continue to escalate. The current row erupted earlier this month after Saudi Arabia executed Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr and the Saudi embassy in Tehran was burned.
So, is the Middle East cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran about to turn hot? And who is to blame for the current tension?
In this week’s special Arena, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, the former head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Iranian National Security Council and a close ally of President Hassan Rouhani, debates with Jamal Khashoggi, a former adviser to Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal.
Latin America: Beyond the stereotypes
Drugs, corruption and violence often mar any news coming from Latin America.
While no one can deny there is a huge problem with inequality and violence, the region is also home to a diverse mix of sophisticated cultures, progressive social change, hundreds of languages, and more than a dozen Nobel Laureates.
In this week’s Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan highlights Latin America beyond the stereotypes.
Syria: Starvation as a weapon of war
Images of malnourished children and old people from the Syrian town of Madaya gripped the world last week. A UN aid convoy finally reached the besieged town on Monday, with officials describing “horrifying conditions” for the more than 40,000 people trapped there.
Madaya is one example of the depth of the humanitarian crisis facing the region. According to the UN there are at least 400,000 people living under siege in 15 towns across Syria. Doctors Without Borders estimate that 28 people have died of starvation in Madaya alone since the beginning of December 2015, with more than 250 people suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the use of starvation as a weapon in Syria was a war crime.
Mehdi Hasan speaks to Sarah Leah Whitson, one of the foremost experts in the region and the executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division, about the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
6 Comments on "Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Who is to blame for the row?"
makati1 on Tue, 19th Jan 2016 7:22 pm
War, population culling by another name.
Anonymous on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 2:47 am
Q:Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Who is to blame for the row?
A:The united snakes
theedrich on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 3:44 am
War will not break out between Araby and Persia. In February 1945, the sadistic megalomaniac, Franklin D. Roosevelt (beloved by Jews and the Left generally), promised in a secret treaty to protect the Saudi monarchy forever, if only it would guarantee an uninterrupted flow of oil to us and our vassals. The treaty was almost shattered in 1974 when the Sauds turned off the spigot in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel, but then quickly turned it back on when our demigods threatened them with extinction. Henceforth FDR’s secret treaty has remained intact.
Due to the gradual depletion of the Ghawar and related Saudi fields, however, the interpretation of American “interests” has shifted. It is now more rational to expand the sources of Middle Eastern oil to include Iran. This was undoubtedly an ancillary reason for the recent anti-nuke pact with Teheran.
So proxy wars (Sauds supporting ISIL, Iran supporting Shiites) will continue in Syria and Yemen, but there will be no open war between the main opponents.
yoananda on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 3:57 am
@Anonymous on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 2:47 am
Iran and Irak are at war since 5000 yrs ! I doubt US have much to do with that.
makati1 on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 5:05 am
Never is a strong word, theedrich. I would say, not likely at this point in time. However, who knows what the next year will bring or even tomorrow.
I agree that it doesn’t seem likely, but then, there was a time when no one thought China and Russia would never be friends, let alone partners in many areas, as they attack the Empire in every way except militarily … so far.
Anonymous on Wed, 20th Jan 2016 7:39 am
@Yoananda Could you provide proof of your assertion? I mean the 5000 year thing. Its not at all hard to prove the US empire and its various allies, UK, Israel etc, have a hand in provoking the relatively minor scuffle the article is talking about.
thanx