Middle East Relationships II: It's Complicated
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*Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
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United States : Iran
The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 after Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. The election of President Hassan Rohani, a relative moderate, in June 2013, has led to a certain thaw in the relationship. Washington, along with other world powers, agreed to a temporary deal with Tehran to ease sanctions in return for some scaling back of Iran's nuclear program. The United States has also considered cooperating with Iran to quell a Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
United States : Israel
Israel is the closest ally of the United States in the Middle East, with cooperation in the economic, military, and intelligence spheres. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. Still, the sides have clashed publicly over Israel's opposition to a nuclear deal with Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for the U.S. Congress to pass further sanctions against Iran -- a move U.S. President Barack Obama has rejected.
United States : Egypt
"For three decades, Egypt had been a strong strategic ally of the United States in the Middle East. Washington provided over $1 billion in annual aid -- much of it going to Egypt's military. Relations briefly cooled amid unrest following the revolution that brought down Hosni Mubarek and led to the year-long rise and then ouster of the Muslim-Brotherhood-led government of Muhammad Morsi. But the United States, wary of losing influence in the region, has refused to call Morsi's overthrow a ""military coup,"" and previous aid allotments, which were halted after Morsi's downfall, are mostly being restored in 2014. "
United States : Turkey
U.S. President Barack Obama once called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan one of his closest friends. The two NATO allies have long shared foreign policy and economic interests in the region. But events began to strain in 2013. On Egypt, Ankara has had a far less accommodating tone towards the new leadership than Washington; on Syria, Turkey was angered at the refusal of the United States to take military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad; and during the biggest political crisis of his career, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angered Washington by blaming it for meddling in the country's affairs.
United States : Saudi Arabia
For Washington, ties with Riyadh -- both economic and security -- have long been closer than with any other Arab state. But relations have soured, particularly after the United States declined to take military action in support of Sunni rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. If Washington does decide to cooperate with Saudi Arabia's arch rival, Iran, in fighting Islamic militants in Iraq, relations can be expected to deteriorate further. "
United States : ISIL*
After withdrawing its troops from Iraq in 2011, Washington has been forced to again consider military action in the country following ISIL's quick advance toward Baghdad. In the summer of 2013, those supporting arming moderate rebels fighting the Syrian regime of Bashal al-Assad had argued that this was the best hope to prevent the further rise of militant Islamist groups like ISIL. Others worried that the weapons would end up in extremists' hands.
United States : Syria
After backing off from its threat to take military action in Syria, the United States supported a UN-backed deal to rid the country of chemical weapons. Washington blames the regime of President Bashar al-Assad for the deaths of over 120,000 Syrians but has become wary of backing rebels, who now appear to be dominated by extremist groups, including ISIL. Both Syria and the United States are now taking part in efforts to fight ISIL in Iraq.
United States : Russia
After attempts at a "reset" with Moscow that included the signing of an arms reduction pact, U.S.-Russian relations have hit perhaps the lowest level since the fall of the Soviet Union. The chief disagreement is over Russia's incursion into Ukraine, but tensions had already increased amid disagreements on Syria, human rights, and the granting by Russia of temporary asylum to U.S. leaker Edward Snowden.
United States : Hamas
The United States lists Hamas as a terrorist organization. U.S.-led talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority were put on hold after Hamas and the Palestinian Authority's Fatah faction joined forces.
United States : Iraq
After failing to agree on a Status of Forces Agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the United States completed a full withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, eight years after the start of the Iraq War. Since then, generally free from U.S. pressure, Sunnis say Maliki, a Shi'a, has pushed them to the margins. He has requested military support to fight a Sunni insurgency led by the ISIL militant group, but Washington has been hesitant without guarantees that Maliki will form a more inclusive government.
Iran : Israel
Iran refuses to recognize Israel as anything other than a "Zionist regime" and has supported proxy militant groups based in the West Bank, Gaza, and southern Lebanon. Israel has been an outspoken opponent of a temporary nuclear deal signed with Iran. It has warned allies that Iran is an unreliable negotiating partner intent on acquiring a nuclear bomb. Israel considers the Iranian nuclear program an existential threat and has threatened to take military action on its own.
Iran : Egypt
Egypt and Iran went three decades without formal diplomatic relations. The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood led to a slight thaw, but returned to a general stasis after the overthrow of Muhammad Morsi, which Iran condemned.
Iran : Turkey
Although Iran and Turkey have strong economic ties, they often are on opposite sides of regional conflicts and see each other as rivals. Turkey's strong anti-Assad stance -- including open support for foreign military intervention against Assad's regime -- has angered Iran. But as Assad has dug in and Turkey has been forced to deal with a new threat to instability in Iraq, the two sides have recently seemed willing to put aside their differences. In early June, Iranian President Hassan Rohani made an official visit to Ankara.
Iran : Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and Iran are fierce rivals -- with each side battling, along largely sectarian lines, for Middle East hegemony. The current conflicts in Iraq and Syria have been fanned by actions through proxies on both sides: Tehran has provided support to Bashar al-Assad's regime and Riyadh, along with other Gulf monarchies, has provided weapons and financial support to Sunni rebel groups.
Iran : ISIL*
ISIL, the radical militant Sunni group, sees itself as a sworn enemy of Shi'ite-led Iran, which has provided the bulwark of support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Tehran has said it will intervene to protect Shi'ite shrines, which ISIL has threatened to destroy.
Iran : Syria
Iran is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most ardent supporter in the Middle East -- providing military and proxy support. Some analysts have described Syria's civil war as a proxy war between the West and Iran.
Iran : Russia
Iran and Russia, both wary of U.S. influence, increasingly find areas of common interest. Moscow helped Iran build its Bushehr nuclear power plant. Both support President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Russia also backed a temporary nuclear deal between Iran and the West that would weaken some sanctions while forcing Iran to cut back on uranium enrichment. There has been some concern that Moscow could attempt to hinder a permanent nuclear deal with Iran as payback for Western-imposed sanctions following Russia's incursion into Ukraine.
Iran : Hamas
Iran and Hamas share enmity for Israel, and Tehran had supported Hamas financially. But differences over Syria have caused a rift in the relationship. Hamas, a Sunni Islamist organization, backs the largely Sunni rebel movement against Syria's Bashar al-Assad. Tehran responded by suspending millions of dollars in aid -- instead backing Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based militant group that rivals Hamas. In early 2014, Tehran again resumed aid, at lower levels.
Iran : Iraq
Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Tehran has played an outsize role in Iraqi politics, sponsoring Shi'ite insurgents against U.S. forces and maintaining close ties with Shi'ite Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Tehran sees a Shi'ite-dominated Iraq as an important bulwark in the proxy battle against its Sunni rival, Saudi Arabia. It has said it will consider providing military support to stop the advance of militants from ISIL.
Israel : Egypt
Egypt and Israel have maintained strategic relations since signing the 1978 Camp David Accords. Israel relies on Egypt to protect their common border in the south. During Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's rule, Cairo also was heavily involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Relations soured after Mubarak's fall. But close ties appear to have resumed since Egypt's military-led takeover in July.
Israel : Turkey
Before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule, ties between Turkey and Israel included strong economic and military cooperation. However, tensions have increased under Erdogan, reaching a peak when an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla killed nine civilians. Relations improved in 2013 after Israel apologized for the deaths. But rocky relations have continued. In battling his own domestic political crisis, Erdogan has at times blamed Israel, at least indirectly, and a Turkish court ruled in May that the Israeli generals involved in the flotilla incident should be tried in absentia.
Israel : Saudi Arabia
Although Israel and Saudi Arabia don't have formal diplomatic relations and Riyadh backs Sunni Islamists, the interests of both countries often overlap. A 2011 "New York Times" report said Israel sees Saudi Arabia as a "guarantor of stability" in the region and both countries are adamant in their opposition to a nuclear deal with Iran.
Israel : ISIL*
Israel considers ISIL's gains in Iraq -- particularly winning control over border posts with Jordan -- as a direct national security threat.
Israel : Syria
Israel has targeted military installations within Syria. President Bashar al-Assad has threatened to attack Israel if a western coalition provides military aid to Syria's rebels. But Israel is also concerned about what forces may arise from a power vacuum that could be created in Syria if Assad's regime is overthrown.
Israel : Russia
Israel and Russia have strong economic and military cooperation, as well as significant cultural ties. More than 1 million Jews from Russia and other former Soviet republics now live in Israel. Both countries have opposing strategic and geopolitical views on security issues, including Iran and Syria.
Israel : Hamas
Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, is committed to an Islamist state that includes the territory of Israel and the Palestianian territories. It has been responsible for militant attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings and rocket barrages from Gaza. Israel calls Hamas a terrorist organization. A cease-fire between the two sides occasionally is interrupted amid flare-ups in tensions.
Israel : Iraq
Israel and Iraq do not have direct diplomatic relations. Baghdad has expressed outrage about its autonomous Kurdish region's willingness to sell crude oil to Israel.
Egypt : Turkey
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of the most vocal critics of the Egyptian army's ouster of President Muhammad Morsi. Erdogan also has criticized the violent breakup of Muslim Brotherhood street protests. He called Morsi's ouster a "coup" and has claimed it was backed by Israel. In late 2013 Ankara downgraded its diplomatic relations with Cairo.
Egypt : Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has provided billions of dollars in aid to Egypt's new military-installed government and has called on the Arab world to support it. Riyadh was furious about the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak and accused the West of disloyalty for tacitly backing regime change.
Egypt : ISIL*
The government in Cairo, which has backed the regime in Syria of Bashar al-Assad, is a declared enemy of ISIL. Egypt fears that any expansion of the group beyond Iraq and Syria could cause spillover into its Sinai peninsula.
Egypt : Syria
Egypt's government opposes foreign military intervention in Syria and is a support of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Egypt : Russia
Moscow says the military ouster of Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi's government in July 2013 vindicates its skepticism about the Arab Spring. Russia has taken a neutral stance on the overthrow, but has expressed enthusiasm about strengthening relations with Egypt.
Egypt : Hamas
Hamas emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in the late 1980s and closely cooperated with Egypt's Islamist leader Muhammad Morsi before his ouster from the presidency. With Egypt's military back in a position of power, however, relations have soured -- illegal tunnels between Egypt and Gaza are being closed off and Cairo has called Hamas an obstacle to peace.
Egypt : Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was one of the first Middle East leaders to express support for the government formed after the ouster of former Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi. The interests of Maliki and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are generally aligned. Sisi, who has banned the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, sees common cause in the Maliki government's fight against the ISIL militant group.
Turkey : Saudi Arabia
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitious vision of a Turkey that is the chief influencer in the Middle East has created tension with Riyadh, which has long dominated Sunni state politics. In Syria, their interests have largely converged -- with both supporting rebels against the regime of Bashar al-Assad -- although in Iraq, Ankara may have a greater interest in maintaining stability than Riyadh, which has been disturbed by the rise of a Shi'ite-led government backed by Iran.
Turkey : ISIL*
Ankara expressed shock after ISIL militants overran a Turkish consulate in Mosul, kidnapping 45 consular staff and family members. Nonetheless, some have blamed Turkey for allowing arms and militants to cross into Syria through Turkey.
Turkey : Syria
Turkish forces have had sporadic cross-border clashes with Syrian troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad since the crisis in Syria began more than three years ago. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, in the past, advocated Western-backed military intervention against Assad's regime in Syria. Recently, though, Ankara has seemed more concerned with instability spilling over across its border and recently named the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra group a terrorist organization.
Turkey : Russia
Under Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ankara and Moscow have developed strong economic and tourism ties. Although Erdogan spoke out against the annexation of Crimea, which the Turkic-rooted Crimean Tatar community there opposed, he is not expected to risk damaging Turkey's relations with Russia by taking a more aggressive stance.
Turkey : Hamas
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been criticized by Israel for his outward support of Hamas. Ankara has been one of the sharpest critics of Israel's 2008 military campaign in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal has been invited to the capital on several occasions. According to Al Monitor, thousands of Palestinians in Hamas-governed Gaza rallied after Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party won municipal elections in March.
Turkey : Iraq
Turkey has a strong trade relationship with Iraq, reaching a record $12 billion last year, according to "The Wall Street Journal." Still, Ankara has been criticized for failing to protect its border with Syria, where militants heading into the conflict are said to traverse freely. Tension also increased recently when Turkey signed an oil import deal directly with the autonomous Kurdish region that did not include Baghdad.
Saudi Arabia : ISIL*
Saudi Arabia has backed some militant rebel groups, but Riyadh says it has never supported ISIL. It now finds itself in a bind: It opposes the Shi'ite, Iranian-backed government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, which has been weakened. But ISIL could also be an eventual threat to the Saudis, who have fought their own domestic battles with extreme Islamist groups who reject the monarchic system.
Saudi Arabia : Syria
Saudi Arabia supports foreign military intervention against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Riyadh has provided financial and military backing to rebel groups.
Saudi Arabia : Russia
Riyadh and Moscow have maintained formal diplomatic ties since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. But relations have grown tense -- particularly since the start of the Arab Spring uprisings across northern Africa and the Middle East. Saudi Arabia provided cover for rebel forces that fought against Muammar Qaddafi's rule in Libya and has supported rebels in Syria. Moscow has supported the regimes of both Qaddafi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Riyadh also has been accused of providing financial support to radical Muslim organizations in Russia that back North Caucasus militants.
Saudi Arabia : Hamas
Despite backing other Sunni militant organizations, Saudi Arabia is aligned with the Western-backed Fatah movement on the question of who represents Palestinians. Saudi Arabia and Hamas both support rebel fighters in Syria's civil war.
Saudi Arabia : Iraq
In a war for influence in the Middle East, the Sunni-led Gulf monarchies, led by Riyadh, were troubled by the rise of a Shi'ite-dominated government in Iraq and alarmed at Iran's growing influence in the country. The Gulf states have backed Sunni rebel groups fighting the Assad regime in Syria -- some of whom have spilled into Iraq -- and although they have not officially provided support to militants from ISIL, that extremist group is widely believed to have benefited from their indirect support.
ISIL* : Syria
ISIL, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, came into its own in Syria fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The radical Islamist group now controls substantial territory in the country's north and has fought -- often successfully -- with more moderate rebel groups for control.
ISIL* : Russia
Russia, which is a strong supporter of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, has condemned ISIL's terrorist acts in Syria and Iraq. Nonetheless, Moscow has sometimes peppered those condemnations with criticisms of the United States and the West, which it blames for stirring unrest.
ISIL* : Hamas
There is no known connection between ISIL and Hamas, although Hamas has expressed support for rebels opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
ISIL* : Iraq
The militant Islamist group, which had its beginnings as Al-Qaeda in Iraq during the Iraq War, has promised to form an Islamic caliphate on the lands of present-day Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has promised to crush it. But the Iraqi Army collapsed in the face of an ISIL attack on Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and the group's forces have continued to advance to near Baghdad. ISIL, which has between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters, is believed to be supported by Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders who have been outraged by their treatment at the hands of Maliki's Shi'a-dominated government, as well as former members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party.
Syria : Russia
Russia says it is not backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad specifically. But it has been the main inhibitor of international sanctions against Syria, teaming up with China to veto UN Security Council resolutions against Damascus. Moscow campaigned hard against possible U.S.-led military strikes in response to chemical-weapons attacks that Washington says were launched by Assad's forces and was instrumental in forcing a deal that would force Assad to give up his chemical weapons but prevent U.S.-led strikes.
Syria : Hamas
Although Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had long supported Hamas, the militant group has backed the Sunni-aligned rebel movement. A senior Hamas leader has called "jihad" in Syria a priority.
Syria : Iraq
Baghdad is a strong supporter of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. It is now directly involved in the conflict, as militants from the extremist ISIL group have claimed dozens of Iraqi and Syrian cities in the hope of creating an Islamic caliphate.
Russia : Hamas
Russia has called for Hamas to be included in the Middle East peace process. In 2010, Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal was invited to Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia : Iraq
Russia opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Moscow's relations with Baghdad generally were sparse after Saddam Hussein's 2003 ouster. But Russia and Baghdad now agree on key regional policy points, including support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Military and economic relations took on added significance in 2012 when Moscow and Baghdad agreed to a $4.2 billion weapons deal.
Hamas : Iraq
Sunni-dominated Hamas has no apparent ties with the Shi'a-led government in Baghdad. But Iraq vociferously criticized Israel's 2008 military campaign in Gaza.
Published:June 27, 2014
Interactive matrix by Glenn Kates, Christina Hicks, and Karel Knop, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty © 2014 RFE/RL, Inc.
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