‘‘China’s mediation led to an unexpected peace deal between long-hostile Saudi Arabia and Iran, disrupting traditional alliances. The absence of the US and China’s emergence as a major player has left Israel uncertain about its ties with Saudi Arabia. Despite positive reactions, doubts remain about the strength of the newfound Saudi-Iran connection and their planned ambassador exchange’’.
A major peace agreement has happened in the Middle East, but it’s not between Israel and the Arab countries. Instead, it’s between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two nations that have remained hostile to each other for many years. Surprisingly, the deal wasn’t arranged by the United States; it was mediated by China.
This turn of events has surprised people all around the world and has caused great confusion. The usual alliances and conflicts that have shaped international relations for a long time have been disrupted, at least for now.
The United States has been a key player in the Middle East for the last 75 years and has usually been at the center of important events. However, in this situation, the U.S. is not actively involved and is watching from the sidelines as significant changes unfold. On the other hand, China used to have a minor role in the region, has suddenly become a major player.
This shift in dynamics has made Israel uncertain about its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Israel had been trying to build closer ties with Saudi Arabia as they both have mutual concerns about Iran. Now, Israel is uncertain about how this new agreement will affect their plans.
Amy Hawthorne, a deputy director at the Project on Middle East Democracy, a nonprofit organization, emphasized that this development is a significant event. She mentioned that while the United States couldn’t have made this deal with Iran due to their lack of relations, China’s accomplishment has elevated its diplomatic status and is more impressive than anything the U.S. has achieved in the region since President Biden took office.
President Biden’s team at the White House has openly welcomed the renewed friendship between Saudi Arabia and Iran. They haven’t shown any obvious worry about China’s role in making this happen. In private discussions, Biden’s aides said that people might be making too big a deal out of this progress. They laughed at the idea that it showed the United States was losing influence in the area.
However, experts who don’t work for the government said it’s unclear how strong the new connection between Saudi Arabia and Iran will be. Even though the two countries used to fight for control in the Middle East and the wider Islamic world, they now want to resolve their issues and opened their closed embassies in 2016. Although reopening the embassies is just the start, it doesn’t mean that the Sunnis in Riyadh and the Shiites in Tehran have forgotten all their differences. In fact, it’s possible that this new deal to swap ambassadors might not happen after all. They plan to take two months to decide on the future course, and the situation might change by then.
