Why crown prince’s US visit is hugely significant

Mohammed bin Salman’s trip will allow Saudi Arabia and his hosts to work together and defeat the common enemy of Iran, which wants to drive a wedge between Riyadh and Washington.

FOR many years following the end of the Cold War, the Middle East has been involved in both regional and international conflicts. These have been of varying importance and on various levels. Not all countries in the region have used the same methods to deal with the different crises: For example, Saudi Arabia has always looked for stability and has always worked with its allies, partners and friends to solve these problems with the help of the international community and its institutions.

The picture has been clear since 2011, when the so-called Arab Spring took place. This opened the door to terrorist militias, which took advantage of weak and destabilized countries. Saudi Arabia called on the whole world to help those countries and battle terrorism with an international coalition. Iran, of course, was not in this coalition because it was busy taking advantage of the region's instability.

From the time of the satanic revolution in 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini gained power in Iran, the horrible story began. It was a story of exporting terror and devastation to the entire region. And so it happened that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pointed out how Iran and its Hitlerlike leaders wanted to swallow whole regions by waging wars. Adolf Hitler used an army to swallow Europe, while Iran uses terrorist militias and hosts terrorist organizations on its soil to spread chaos in the region and undermine the stability of countries. This produces more terrorists and more violence, accompanied by the displacement of millions, as we have seen in Syria. In addition to changing the country's demographics, many of its people have become refugees.

Of course Iran is in no way the equal of Saudi Arabia on any level. Iran exports wars, weapons, chaos and drugs to the whole region under the guise of revolution. Inside Iran there are many protests against the regime, but they are brutally suppressed while the world simply watches from the sidelines without offering any help to the protesters. Recently, there have been protests that show how the Iranian people hate the regime; they have even gone so far as to burn effigies of the supreme leader in the streets.

This has never happened in Saudi Arabia because the Kingdom has never exported, or supported, revolution that depended on any militias. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest oil-exporting countries and is a member of the G-20, which supports countries needing help. Support has been provided for months to Iraq, which was destroyed by Iranian hands that gave nothing to the country except terrorist militias. Riyadh uses its income for domestic development and assisting its neighbors. Tehran does not do this and is in no way equal to Riyadh.

At the political level, Riyadh works with the international community to solve and deal with conflicts in order to find fair solutions by using international coalitions. Iran's record, on the other hand, is using its militias and storming embassies.

Iran is a dangerous country. The international community needs to face the regime and its terror and possibly take serious and decisive action against its militias, ballistic missiles, and its nuclear program. Of course Saudi Arabia has the right to develop a nuclear bomb in order to deter Iran from its role of spreading terror in the region. Crown Prince Mohammed's trip to the United States will make a difference by allowing the two countries to work together and defeat the common enemy, which wants to drive a wedge between Riyadh and Washington.

Al-Qaeda and its leaders sought refuge in Iran and many of them remain there to this day. At the time of 9/11, Saudi Arabia had excellent relations with Washington and, even though 15 Saudis were involved in the attacks, they did not represent the Kingdom or its people or the country's policy. It is time to put an end to the machinations of people who seek to bring about a clash of civilizations.

Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri is a political analyst and international relations scholar. Twitter: @DrHamsheri