‘We Saudis don’t have to like our neighbours – just live with them’

Two or three days before the first attack, the US government began telling its personnel in Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq to evacuate. I thought: “Something’s going to happen.” But still, I never imagined a direct Israeli assault on Iranian soil.

For most Saudis, there is a sense – however grim – that it’s a “win-win”. For Saudis, on the one hand Israel is the existential enemy that has long terrorised the region, having been placed in the region by great powers: the British empire first, followed by unwavering support from the US. On the other hand, Iran represents an old foe, having menaced the region for two decades, stoking sectarian militias in Iraq and Syria, backing Hezbollah and stirring unrest.

The two fighting can be advantageous. Many Saudis think that the outcome of these wars can be good for us: the Iranian side has suffered losses among the leadership of proxies such as Hezbollah and even among the Revolutionary Guard, while the Israeli side has emerged weakened in terms of regional strength, global moral standing and even propaganda capabilities, best exemplified by the shattered myth of the Iron Dome’s invincibility.

But there is a danger if this goes too far. Regime change could be a disaster. We’ve seen it all before in Iraq. Topple a regime, and the chaos that follows doesn’t respect borders.

Our attitude to Iran has changed in recent years. In a 2017 interview, Mohammed bin Salman said: “We will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia, and we will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.” But then in 2020, his tone changed: “No, no, they are our neighbours.” This is the approach we need. You don’t have to like your neighbours, but you have to live with them..

Mohammed Alrushoodi is the acting editor-in-chief of Al-Hikmah Journal.