The Saudi-UAE Bust-Up Is A Return To The Persian Gulf Status Quo

The Saudi-UAE Bust-Up Is A Return To The Persian Gulf Status Quo

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 20: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE ... [+] Armed Forces, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meets Saudi Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) as part of the GCC Defence Ministrial summit in Riyadh on April 20, 2016. (Photo by Pool / Bandar Algaloud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) By Jim Krane and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen First it was over the war in Yemen, then Syria and Israel, then OPEC quotas, and now it's cross-border trade. The pace of disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is reaching a fever pitch. Persian Gulf watchers are wondering whether the bust-up signals a larger shift in regional relations. Not exactly. While there are new strategic divergences, particularly over climate action and interventions in regional conflict, fractious Saudi-UAE relations are nothing new. The gathering dispute is better understood as a return to the pre-2015 status quo than a unique diplomatic breach. Either way, the results have been interesting. Besides the rare dispute over oil output, Saudi-UAE infighting has ended the Gulf's anti-Iran axis. Both monarchies have been easing tensions with Tehran that, not long ago, they were keen