paris u.s. president donald trump tightly align saudi arabia iran france position broke sunni shi ite muslim rival neutrality may leave little leverage tensions riyadh tehran rise sharply since saad hariri resignation lebanon prime minister president emmanuel macron make unscheduled stopover meet saudi powerful crown prince mohammed bin salman thursday move make ahead possible visit macron iran next year line young president foreign policy style engage non-committal try mediate side without unsettle anyone strong capacity initiative former foreign minister alain juppe tell journalists friday remind little president nicolas sarkozy leave georgia 2012. good president get hand dirty initiative take may work visit dubai thursday macron carefully balance call firm international stance iran nuclear ballistic missile program implicitly warn riyadh approach toward rival excessive tightrope walk may help protect french business tie iran buy time saudis diplomats concern 39-year-old president new international affairs may ultimately leave france expose reduce exposure region lot hit take without pressure point weigh say french diplomatic source think interest play role quarrel power sarkozy francois hollande respectively align qatar saudi arabia france nurture new link sunni-ruled gulf arab state adopt tough stance iran nuclear negotiations election campaign macron promise different approach openly criticize saudi arabia qatar perceive support islamist group across region since nuclear deal bring end sanction france revive old business investment tie iran yet period saudi 32-year-old crown prince shake landscape forge close tie trump adopt ever confrontational line iran past week dramatically uproot nation political structure france try act balance iran saudi arabia say dominique mo si special adviser charge international relations paris-based montaigne institute time situation worsen region offer intermediary trump choose one camp say refer trump decision decertify iran nuclear deal macron try nuanced offer something everyone vow stick nuclear deal iran talk tie trump saudi arabia time threaten new sanction tehran ballistic missile program promise address grow hegemony region iran one buy think policy work say senior iranian official speak condition anonymity country like france try appease effect someone like trump contrary simply embolden administration french officials insist paris role play various international conflict give position veto-wielding member u.n. security council historical tie middle east say remain neutral france prove credible consistent long-term since macron take power offer mediate libya ukraine syria qatar crisis even venezuela time carefully try avoid take side may pay france understand full well leadership problem part americans understand potentially opportunity make difference say jalel harchaoui geopolitics researcher paris university far seem macron team distract hurry announce big initiatives deliver little france 's macron tread fine line iran-saudi minefield