Iran, Saudi Arabia- the two regional rivals have agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties in an agreement brokered by China that would have repercussions across the Middle East and beyond.
A photo released by the Iranian agency NourNews on Friday showed, Musaad al-Aiban, a Saudi minister; Wang Yi, China’s most senior foreign policy official and Ali Shamkhani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Beijing. The leaders from two Middle Eastern countries met in Beijing and China played a crucial role in bringing about this thaw in the relations.
The announcement by Iran and Saudi Arabia that they are re-establishing diplomatic ties would lead to a major realignment of forces in the Middle East. This will change the dynamics not only in the Persian Gulf but across continents. The development is a new geopolitical challenge for the United States as China’s manoeuvring power in the region will grow with this. According to analysts, Beijing was attempting to broker the talks between the two rivals since several months now. It is a diplomatic victory for China at a time when China’s Parliament on Friday unanimously endorsed an unprecedented third five-year term for President Xi Jinping. Bringing two Middle Eastern bitter rivals close to establishing diplomatic ties will further strengthen China’s hold in the region.
Under the agreement announced on Friday, Iran and Saudi Arabia will restablish ties after a seven-year split by reviving a security cooperation pact, reopening embassies in each other’s countries within two months, and resuming trade, investment and cultural accords.
The establishment of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran will not go down with the US as S. Arabia is a close ally of America, while Iran is considered a security threat.
Beijing maintains ties with both Middle Eastern countries, and the latest thaw is a sign of its growing political and economic clout in the region, which has been dominated by the United States. By bringing arch rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia closer, China is giving a message that it is a major player in the Middle East and can influence nations dramatically.
“Renewed Iran-Saudi ties as a result of Chinese mediation is a lose, lose, lose for American interests,” said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank to the New York Times.
Mark Dubowitz told The NYT, it showed that Saudi Arabia lacks trust in Washington, that Iran could peel away U.S. allies to ease its isolation and that China “is becoming the major-domo of Middle Eastern power politics.”
