"We are witnessing, in the midst of these hot conflicts, a Middle East cold war," Crocker stated in testimony to the US Senate Armed Services Committee. "[W]e need to stand on one side of it, and that, in my view is with our traditional allies."
Crocker named Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Israel as US allies of choice in the region.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have ratcheted up in the recent period, with both sides expressing fears that the other is attempting regional dominance and supporting terrorism. In early January, Saudi Arabia formally cut ties with Iran after a major diplomatic row.
"The more we try to work with the Russians or the Iranians, the more that perception [of the US supporting an anti-Sunni bloc] takes hold among the Sunni Arabs," he added.
The United States has been attempting to work alongside influential powers in the Middle East, particularly Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia to find a resolution to the ongoing Syrian crisis. Each party is a member of the UN-sponsored International Syria Support Group, which aims at a political transition in Syria over the next 18 months.
