Saudi analyst slams Trump as weak ‘paper tiger’ who didn’t finish off Iran, says Saudis won’t make peace with Israel

Al-Ati said Saudi Arabia is preparing to lead what he called an “Arab-Islamic bloc” alongside Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Saudi analyst Mubarak al-Ati said in an interview with Russia Today TV last week that Saudi Arabia views US President Donald Trump’s reluctance to resume war with Iran and pursue regime change as evidence that Washington is no longer as dependable a partner as it once was.

Al-Ati said Riyadh’s response to recent regional tensions reflects what he described as a more independent foreign policy approach.

“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. “Saudi Arabia has not declared hostility toward any of the parties, and this means they analyzed the situation and saw themselves as an independent actor who cannot be a satellite of Israel and the US.”

He said Saudi leaders have concluded that shifting global dynamics allow countries greater freedom to engage with multiple international powers rather than relying primarily on Washington.

“The balance of power has changed significantly, and for rising powers such as India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, all of which are G20 members, there are now new possibilities, and they can establish relations with all forces, not just with the US,” he said.

As part of that approach, al-Ati said Saudi Arabia is preparing to lead what he called an “Arab-Islamic bloc” alongside Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar. He said the grouping is expected to be announced in the future.

Al-Ati also argued that Saudi Arabia is moving away from normalization initiatives with Israel.

“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,” he said.

Discussing US policy toward Iran, al-Ati criticized Trump’s position on military action against Tehran.

“It seems that [US President Donald] Trump refuses to return to war and overthrow the Ayatollah’s regime. This will cost him dearly,” he said, adding that Trump had proven to be a “paper tiger.”

Al-Ati compared the situation to what he called Biden’s “humiliating exit” from Afghanistan in 2021 and argued that US influence has diminished.

“The US is still a superpower, but not as it was a decade ago,” he said.

He said Saudi diplomacy is currently “paving the way for a non-violent agreement in the region.”

“It will be an agreement between Iran, the Gulf states, and anyone who wants to join,” he said, adding that it would include “Islamic and international guarantees.”