The example set by their leaders in approving last week’s rapprochement should inspire everyone below them to do their part in helping their historic reconciliation every step of the way. Under no circumstances must rogue elements in either of them be allowed to sabotage this sensitive process, which is still in its infancy and thus…
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has become adept at walking tightropes. Mr. Bin Salman’s latest balancing act may be among his most challenging. In a surprise development, Saudi Arabia and Iran, together with China, announced that the two Middle Eastern nations were reestablishing diplomatic relations. The Saudi Iranian agreement was reached in a meeting…
The 12th “Middle East Conference” at the Valdai Club in Moscow offered a more than welcome cornucopia of views on interconnected troubles and tribulations affecting the region. But first, an important word on terminology – as only one of Valdai’s guests took the trouble to stress. This is not the “Middle East” – a reductionist,…
US grand strategy is predicated on the zero-sum pursuit of maximizing its power at others’ expense, which everyone in the international community finally realized after the blatant hypocrisy of its foreign policy since the start of Russia’s ongoing special operation. Morals, ethics, international law, and principles always take second place to the preceding goal, which…
The March 10 announcement that Saudi Arabia and Iran will restore diplomatic relations under China’s mediation drew astonishment from Western commentators. By American standards, China’s presence in the Middle East is minimal. But China’s footprint in trade and especially technology has grown enormously in Western Asia, allowing Beijing to turn its gradual accumulation of soft…
This remarkable development removes one of the most destabilizing factors in regional security for decades, the Iranian-Saudi rivalry, which was exploited by the US to divide-and-rule West Asia. Washington might still try to sabotage their rapprochement, but it’s unlikely that it’ll achieve anything in this respect, especially since both Tehran and Riyadh are likely aware…
