Diplomatic Struggle: Reactions to Tensions Between Iran and Saudi Arabia

The newspaper Shargh in its front page titled "Diplomatic Struggle" refers to the severing of relations between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Sudan with Iran, stating: "While the alignment of Manama and Abu Dhabi with Riyadh against Tehran was not unexpected, Sudan's decision to cut ties with Tehran was surprising for most observers" because "Iran and Sudan have maintained positive and expanding relations since the 1980s, with senior officials from both countries frequently visiting each other's capitals." The newspaper Etemad also wrote: "The domino effect of tensions in Iran-Saudi relations is laying more pieces horizontally one by one. In the past two years, the hidden conflicts of the last four decades have given way to open tensions and even verbal clashes." This newspaper noted that "in the past four days, the verbal confrontations between the foreign ministry officials of the two neighboring Muslim countries have given way to the summoning and expulsion of diplomats from Tehran and Riyadh." The two countries, which have been at odds since 2011 alongside popular uprisings in some Islamic countries, have moved to a point where diplomatic niceties and minimum standards of good neighborliness have been sidelined, leading to what is sometimes referred to as a cold war. However, the newspaper Kayhan referred to the Saudi leaders as "sons of Abu Lahab" and welcomed the severing of relations between Riyadh and Tehran, stating: "The disgrace of relations with Al Saud has been cleansed from the Islamic Iran's lap." The newspaper Hemayat, affiliated with the prison organization, dedicated its front page photo and headline to the reaction of the head of the judiciary, quoting Sadegh Larijani as saying: "The Islamic Republic does not need the Saudis and their masters." This newspaper also quoted Sadegh Larijani stating: "Al Saud is the agent of America and Israel in the region," but "the assault on the Saudi embassy was an incorrect act and contrary to interests." The newspaper Javan, close to the Revolutionary Guards, also welcomed the severing of relations with Saudi Arabia, describing it as "the galloping of sheikhs in the Simorgh arena." The newspaper Arman referred to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Sudan, which severed relations with Iran following the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, as "the country-what." Hossein Ali Amiri, the Deputy Minister of Interior, in an interview with the newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh emphasized that "the negligence of law enforcement forces" during the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday night, stating: "Those who were negligent and failed to control this issue must be identified and dealt with." The newspaper Shahrvand highlighted the reactions to the burning of dolls in a school in Karaj, stating: "The burning of Barbie dolls in a school in Karaj has drawn criticism from child rights activists, who say this method is a clear example of teaching violence and encourages children to engage in violent behaviors." The newspaper Sepid reported on Tuesday's front page about the shortage of 100,000 hospital beds and also 100,000 nurses in Iran's healthcare network. The Deputy Minister of Interior: In the attack on the Saudi embassy, law enforcement was negligent. Hossein Ali Amiri, the Deputy Minister of Interior, in an interview with the newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh emphasized that "the negligence of law enforcement forces" during the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday night, stating: "Those who were negligent and failed to control this issue must be identified and dealt with." He stated that after the news of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr's execution was published and "before the events at the Saudi embassy occurred, the Minister of Interior had given necessary instructions to the security deputy of the Ministry of Interior and law enforcement to take necessary measures to prevent actions that might arise from hurt feelings." Hossein Ali Amiri emphasized that "during the martyrdom of Sheikh Nimr, the feelings of some individuals were stirred, causing damages to the Saudi consulate in Mashhad and the embassy in Tehran," stating: "In the Islamic Republic of Iran, no one is allowed to negate laws or existing criteria under the pretext of defending values, and if there are demands, they must be pursued through legal channels." He expressed regret over the events of Saturday night, stating to the newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh: "Mr. Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, has ordered that the instigators, perpetrators, and those who were negligent in controlling this issue be identified." In response to the question from the newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh about how successful security forces were in controlling the events that occurred on Saturday night, he said: "As I said, we had warned in advance, and during these events, the situation unfolded in a way that some individuals could not control their feelings and caused damage," and now "we are reviewing the performance of security forces regarding the management and control of these events." The Deputy Minister of Interior emphasized that "these events were inappropriate and unacceptable from the Ministry of Interior's perspective, and we stress that if there are any demands, they must be pursued legally." The newspaper noted that contrary to the views of Ministry of Interior officials, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the spokesman for law enforcement, emphasized that "many times, people cannot be beaten; the last resort is coercive methods." Saeed Seif, a reporter for the newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh, wrote: "These two opposing positions are the result of the occupation of the Saudi embassy, which occurred a few days ago after Sheikh Nimr's execution by self-appointed forces. They recklessly set fire to the embassy to further inflame the distrust between the two governments of Saudi Arabia and Iran," and "Saudi Arabia, which was criticized by the entire world after the execution of Sheikh Nimr, can now retreat from global public opinion pressure." The newspaper Vaghaye Ettefaghieh evaluated the reaction of the commander of the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps, the special forces of the capital, as one of the most important responses regarding the attack on the Saudi embassy, quoting Mohsen Kazemini as saying: "The attack and burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran was a very wrong and misguided act, and this ugly act cannot be justified in any way." According to this newspaper, Mohsen Kazemini, the commander of the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps, emphasized that "the attack and burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran was a completely organized act," stating: "We are confident that this act was not carried out by committed and Hezbollah forces, and this action was completely organized." Vaghaye Ettefaghieh wrote: "Now it remains to be seen how the facilitators of this issue will be dealt with. It remains to be seen whether all the main and field actors of this illegal and anti-security act will be identified," and whether "some of them have been arrested so far, and the Ministry of Interior will take action to introduce negligent offenders and disruptive violators to the judicial authorities based on its powers and responsibilities." "Diplomatic Struggle: Reactions to Tensions Between Iran and Saudi Arabia" The newspaper Shargh in its front page titled "Diplomatic Struggle" refers to the severing of relations between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Sudan with Iran, stating: "As expected, Saudi Arabia reacted to the assault on its embassy in Tehran. On Sunday night, the Saudi foreign minister announced the severance of relations with Tehran and gave the Iranian embassy staff 48 hours to leave Saudi soil." Zainab Ismaili, a reporter for the newspaper Shargh, wrote: "While the alignment of Manama and Abu Dhabi with Riyadh against Tehran was not unexpected, Sudan's decision to cut ties with Tehran was surprising for most observers" because "Iran and Sudan have maintained positive and expanding relations since the 1980s, with senior officials from both countries frequently visiting each other's capitals. Iran has also participated in some construction projects in Sudan." According to the newspaper Shargh, "Tehran did not hesitate to expand relations even during the international condemnation of General Omar al-Bashir, the President of Sudan, and remained alongside Khartoum." The newspaper emphasized that "as news of the domino effect of countries severing relations spread, many became concerned about the subsequent repercussions," noting that "existing regional challenges, the struggle over oil prices, the relationship between the two countries, and the issue of Hajj are the most important topics that will undoubtedly manifest themselves differently following the severance of relations between the two countries." The newspaper Shargh pointed out that since the negotiations and the achievement of the nuclear agreement in July in Vienna, "most regional and international actors welcomed it, but Saudi Arabia and Israel, two regional members, did not show positive reactions to this event," reminding that "despite this, Iran's efforts to change relations with Saudi Arabia did not diminish. Members of the Iranian diplomatic apparatus have repeatedly emphasized the necessity of bilateral negotiations and dialogue with Riyadh," and even "on the sidelines of the Vienna negotiations, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign ministers of the two countries, held a bilateral discussion about Syria, which later turned into complaints." The newspaper emphasized that "the nuclear negotiations, which took place over 22 months, faced numerous opponents domestically, who, in unison with some foreign hardliners, exerted all their efforts during the negotiations and in criticizing the achieved agreement to undermine this fledgling initiative. A role that could be nullified with the implementation of the JCPOA," and now in Iran, "the opposing spectrum of the JCPOA and negotiations in the eleventh government is somewhat defending the actions of those protesting the Saudi embassy." Shargh noted that the hardline attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran under the pretext of protesting the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr "led to events that were criticized and condemned by many," stating: "Sheikh Nimr's brother condemned the execution of his brother in a tweet on Tuesday, also condemning the assault on the Saudi embassy in Iran." According to this newspaper, "The Russian Foreign Ministry also condemned this act. Although a senior Russian diplomat stated that Moscow is willing to mediate to resolve the differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The United States, in response to Saudi Arabia's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, called for interaction among regional countries," and the EU's foreign policy chief also "discussed the incident of the assault on the Saudi embassy in Tehran in a phone call with the Saudi foreign minister," while "Lo Foul, the spokesperson for the French government, also called for a reduction in tensions in relations between Tehran and Riyadh, and Stefan Siebert, the spokesperson for the German government, on Monday in response to Saudi Arabia's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, called for the resumption of relations between the two countries." The newspaper Shargh reported: "China expressed its concern about events that might escalate conflicts in the region," and "Egypt and Qatar" also "condemned the assault on the Saudi embassy in Iran." Reflections on the "Burning of Barbie Dolls" in a School in Karaj The newspaper Shahrvand highlighted the reactions to the burning of dolls in a school in Karaj, stating: "The burning of Barbie dolls in a school in Karaj has drawn criticism from child rights activists, who say this method is a clear example of teaching violence and encourages children to engage in violent behaviors." According to this newspaper, "Two days ago, a very brief news item was broadcast in one of the television news programs, and shortly after it was posted on social media. This short film showed that in a school in Karaj, female students, including students from various elementary and high school levels, brought their Barbie dolls to school, decapitated them, threw their heads into a large tin can, and then set this can on fire." The newspaper Shahrvand stated: "Although Barbie is recognized as one of the manifestations of cultural invasion from the West, especially in Islamic and Eastern countries, this action has drawn criticism from child rights activists," including Shiva Dolatabadi, the head of the Child Rights Support Association, who told this newspaper: "The least consequence of this issue is that it teaches violence and encourages children to engage in violent behaviors." Shiva Dolatabadi pointed out that "these behaviors can be the beginning for children to think about engaging in violent actions," stating: "The result of this education is that they are encouraged to believe that they will be rewarded for engaging in violent acts, thus incentivizing them to do so." The head of the Child Rights Support Association stated that if the rejection of dolls that are not part of our culture is to be encouraged, children should be encouraged to use dolls that are more similar to our culture, rather than destroying what is not like us. Shiva Dolatabadi emphasized that these actions have a greater impact on younger children, stating: "If we officially encourage this violent behavior, we should not be surprised if our children cannot be tolerant of someone who does not resemble them or see the world as a diverse place," while "students should learn to respect differences and understand that our ideal is to have individuals whose personal identity is so strong that they respect both themselves and others, and their personal identity does not come from negating the identities of others." The newspaper Shahrvand also reported that Fatemeh Mashhadi Rostam, a children's and youth book author, also reacted to the doll burning in a school in Karaj, stating: "These actions promote violence education among children. This movement is definitely not spontaneous.