Rai al-Youm: Raisi to Riyadh

To remember

• Chinese-sponsored bilateral agreements > Saudi-Iranian entente => full normalisation of relations + ‘zeroing’ of all problems between the two sides after decades of political &  military quarrels.
• bilateral & regional issues including Yemen war, Lebanon, lifting sanctions against Syria, and supporting its reconstruction via the gateway of the Arab summit Riyadh is to host after Ramadan.
• turn Israel into the Gulf states’ regional ‘protector’ from a putative Iranian threat
• Saudi Arabia wants way out of costly trap of the Yemen war =>  pursue its ambitions to become a major economic financial hub + reduce its dependence on oil.
• China to gain the most from this major breakthrough + restoration of regional peace in the Middle East.
• breakthrough in Yemeni Crisis (2011-)
• US = like a wounded tiger > failing in Ukraine + still licking its wounds from its humiliating defeats in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

 

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Preceding

The Jordan Times: Implications of Chinese-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia, Iran

Levant's Agora

By Abdel Bari Atwan.

The Iranian-Saudi reconciliation is proceeding apace — but the US could still try to sink it

The Saudi-Iranian entente launched by the signing of last week’s Chinese-sponsored bilateral agreements quickly moved towards the full normalisation of relations and ‘zeroing’ of all problems between the two sides after decades of political and military quarrels.

The invitation sent on Sunday by King Salman to President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia, and his immediate favourable response, shows both countries’ leaders are keen to press ahead with implementing the terms of accord — and belies claims about a 60-day ‘trial period’. Their meeting could set the seal on a host of understandings (which have probably already been largely agreed upon) on bilateral and regional issues including the Yemen war, Lebanon, lifting sanctions against Syria, and supporting its reconstruction via the gateway of the Arab summit Riyadh is to host…

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