dubai image night broadcast around middle east speak loudly word one hand young people iran dance streets mark re-election pragmatist men women together president unite state sway all-male sword dance star absolute rulers saudi arabia publicly call form political change risk prosecution president donald trump tell admire arab absolute monarchs military strongmen gild chamber weekend want peace security prosperity unite state tell run countries join berate arch-foe iran sign 110 billion arm sale saudi arabia put firmly one side sectarian divide fuel middle east war contrast two scenes note iran newly re-elected president hassan rouhani seek reach west bat back hardliners home buy arm build weapons make country powerful rouhani tell news conference monday foundation power national strength happen elections trump saw millions iranians take part election visit country whose people see ballot box know election be pre-obama era steroids trump attempt orchestrate muslim arab coalition iran repudiation regional policy predecessor barack obama whose administration hold first direct talk tehran since 1979 islamic revolution although washington tehran still long way normalize relations obama reach accord lift sanction return iran curb nuclear program trump repeatedly slat bad deal ever sign swing american policy back firm support sunni arab state trump jettison carefully construct balance say jean-marc rickli head global risk resilience geneva centre security policy back pre-obama era steroids say obama attempt usa play external balancer region regional balancer go balancer choose camp dramatically trump also repudiate policies obama republican predecessor george w. bush promise spread democracy across middle east landmark 2003 speech declare freedom future every nation trump tell audience autocrats lecture tell people live worship washington alliance mainly sunni muslim countries arab world shi ite iran decades old practice unite state improvise recent years choose friends complex middle east enemies appear either side sectarian divide washington tehran still frequently oppose side notably syria iran support government president bashar al-assad elsewhere notably iraq u.s. force fight side shi ites close iran obama outreach tehran reflect reality subtleties cast aside sunday trump nod approvingly saudi king salman describe iran tip spear terrorism middle east senior u.s. official defend initiative cite common threat terrorist organizations well iranian subversion throughout region fact militant group u.s. troop fight iraq afghanistan elsewhere since sept. 11 2001 attack new york washington al qaeda islamic state taliban sunni muslims consider shi ite iran enemy time trump uncompromising call u.s.-backed axis iran particularly awkward coincide re-election rouhani sweep second term promise seek rapprochement west although democracy iran clear limit candidates must vet hardline body unelected supreme leader veto policies elect government still go countries attend trump speech fact notice across region u.s. arm deal iran sunni foes help bolster case rouhani hardline opponents say detente west dangerous folly riyadh summit show passivity rouhani government embolden enemies iran write hossein shariatmadari editor-in-chief kayhan newspaper closely associate security hardliners oppose rouhani small weak countries could imagine fight iran publicly talk form military alliance it revolutionary guard irgc powerful iranian security force support rouhani hardline opponent election power stir confrontation across region undermine rouhani home indicators point arm race region rhetorical level path escalation say rickli need small trigger escalate situation grind would surprise see increase hostilities syria yemen also irgc might want foster pro-shi group bahrain part kuwait regain power elections rickli say put huge arm deal center visit also play hand foes say u.s. policy drive mainly money saudi arabia world big exporter oil one world big importers military hardware make west trump boast job would create home arm deal sign make sure help saudi friends get good deal great american defense company great anywhere world trump say speech double saudi arabia lot trade investment considerations support ally anti-terrorism anti-iranian rhetoric provide cover say richard dalton former uk ambassador middle east policy could counter-productive say further enmity iran rather seek common grind interest time iran ready reach diplomatically region long-term problems go work long term aim peaceful stable middle east trump set mideast vision back arab strongmen iran