And also about strengthening the role of China in the region, which has long been considered the territory of US interests.
Finally, a kind of peace agreement appeared in the Middle East. Not between Israel and the Arabs, but between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have been at each other's throats for decades and have been a stumbling block. And not through the mediation of the USA, but China. It is one of the most unexpected developments anyone could have imagined, a change that has shaken capitals around the world. The alliances and rivalries that have guided diplomacy for generations are, at least for now, turned upside down, says The New York Times story on the changing geopolitics in the region.
Read also: Iran will acquire modern Su-35 fighter jets from Russia – mass media . And now they found themselves on the sidelines at a moment of significant change. The Chinese, who for years played only a secondary role in BS, suddenly turned into a new power player.And the Israelis, who tried to appease the Saudis against their common enemies in Tehran, now wonder where this will lead them.
Read also: China believes that the war against Ukraine will end in the summer with a Russian victory – media
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“This kind of achievement by China puts it in a new league diplomatically and overshadows everything the US has been able to achieve in the region since Biden took office,” commented Amy Hawthorne, the project's deputy research director. “Middle Eastern Democracy”.
According to independent analysts, it remains unclear how far the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran will actually go. After decades of sometimes brutal leadership struggles in the Middle East and the Islamic world at large, the decision to reopen embassies closed in 2016 is only the first step.
This does not mean that< strong>the Sunnis in Riyadh and the Shiites in Tehran put aside all their deep and intuitive differences. Indeed, it is safe to assume that this new ambassador exchange deal may not even be implemented in the end, given that it has been delayed for a cautious two-month timetable to work out the details.
Also read: Saudi Arabia sent three planes with humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Early last year, the UN estimated that more than 377,000 people had died during the war from violence, starvation or disease in Yemen, where Iran and Saudi Arabia have effectively waged a devastating proxy war. At the same time, the Houthis fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has been pushing for a cessation of hostilities with Iran for years, initially through talks in Baghdad that ultimately came to nothing. Biden administration officials said the Saudis had briefed them on the discussions in Beijing, but the Americans expressed skepticism that Iran would follow through on its new commitments.
A Confused Diplomatic Game
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, who had close ties to President Donald Trump and helped get 2 billions of dollars in funding for Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's investment company, has played a convoluted diplomatic game since Biden took office.
Biden once promised to make Saudi Arabia a “rogue state” for orchestrating the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post who lived in the US. But he reluctantly agreed to visit the kingdom last year as he sought to lower gas prices, which had been driven up in part by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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In an effort to mend relations with Saudi Arabia, Biden has come under fire for a highly publicized fistfight with the crown prince, whom the CIA has blamed for themurder and dismemberment of Mr. Khashoggi.
Also read: Murdered man's fiancee journalist Khashoggi decided to sue the Saudi prince
Economic Games in the Middle East: Oil, Gas and the Chinese Century
But Biden and his team were furious when they believed Saudi Arabia later violated an unannounced agreement reached during that visit and last fall curbed oil production to keep gas prices high.In that case, US officials believed Prince Mohammed was siding with Putin, and Biden threatened unspecified “consequences” but backed down without imposing any.
Now the crown prince appeals to the Chinese. “Some people in the Persian Gulf clearly see this as the Chinese century,”said Stephen A. Cook, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The Saudis have expressed interest in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and much of their oil goes to China.”
USSR “bullying” the US vs Prince Mohammed's gambit
< p>Mr Cook compared the gambit of Prince Mohammed, known by his initials MBS, to the approach of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who during the Cold War tried to play the US and the USSR by pitting them against each other. “It actually didn't turn out as well as Nasser had hoped,” Mr Cook said. “This could have negative consequences for MBS”
“It's a sign of China's agility if it's taking advantage of some of the anger directed at the United States by Saudi Arabia and a little bit of a vacuum there,” said Daniel K. Kurtzer, a former ambassador to Israel and Egypt. . “And it's a reflection of the fact that the Saudis and the Iranians have been talking for some time. And this is an unfortunate accusation against US policy (in the region).”
Read also: China will continue to cooperate with Russia in various fields, trying to challenge the USA – American intelligence
China brings Saudi Arabia closer to Iran
Beijing brought Saudi Arabia closer to Iran at a time when Israel hoped the United States would bring it together with Saudi Arabia. Having established diplomatic relations with other Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during the final days of the Trump administration under the so-called Abraham Accords, Israel is eager to do so with Saudi Arabia as well. Such a step will mean a fundamental change in the status of Israel in its long-term hostile neighborhood, in fact the end of the isolation of the Arab world, which has lasted for several generations.
Read also: Ukrainian missile systems were presented at an exhibition in the Arab Emirates
Moscow-Tehran alliance: Shahed as an element of cooperation
Obstructing American sanctions,Iran has moved to deepen its relations with Russia, and now with China. Tehran has provided Russia with drones for use in the war in Ukraine, making it a more important partner for Putin's Moscow than any when before.
Many seasoned American policymakers are confused by China playing such a huge role in the region after years of advancement.
The United States still plays an important role in the Middle East, with extensive trade, military, and intelligence ties with most of the critical players in the region. After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, America was essentially the only major external player in this region. But Russia came back in force in 2015, when it helped keep the Bashar al-Assad regime in the throes of the Syrian civil war.
Also read: Syria decides to recognize 'independence' “LPR” and “DNR” controlled by Russia
China is seeking its own military bases in the region as it pursues energy resources and influence beyond Asia. The decision to get involved in the Saudi-Iranian rift makes it clear that there is another player to be reckoned with.
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“I think it reflects how American partners are leaning towards their growing ties with China “said Mr. Kurtzer. “Is this a direct threat to the United States? This is debatable. But the regional order is changing”.
See the special topic: Confrontation between the US and China China has approved a new government What is known about key personnel changes. Sunak will meet with Biden and the Prime Minister of Australia to discuss the agreement on nuclear submarines The British Prime Minister will leave for a visit to the USA. A general under US sanctions for cooperation with the Russian Federation was appointed as China's defense minister General Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions since 2018. Blinken will visit African countries amid US efforts to intensify interaction with the continent The US Secretary of State, in particular, will try to suppress China's influence in the region and Russia's efforts to enlist the support of African countries in war against Ukraine. A close ally of Xi Jinping became the new head of the Chinese government The Chinese leader instructed the new head of government to revive the economy.
