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The Saudis Are Looking Not to Shift Camps but to Diversify Sources of Security

(Twitter) Robert Satloff - The resumption of Saudi-Iran relations has triggered what I believe to be an exaggerated reaction about China's emergence as a Middle East powerbroker and a strategic shift of Riyadh away from its traditional partners. U.S. restrictions on arms sales, strong-arming on Yemen, and inaction on Iran nuclear progress have combined to chip away at Saudi confidence that the U.S. is willing to counter immediate dangers and provide an effective umbrella against strategic threats. Resuming ties with Iran is a dramatic expression of this lack of confidence in the U.S. The Saudis, it seems, are looking not to shift camps but to diversify sources of security. Successive U.S. administrations had no serious plan to stop Iran's nuclear progress or do much to prevent expansion of Iran's regional influence, all the while signaling a desire to escape from Middle East security responsibilities. The Saudis read the tea leaves and acted. But this is a tactical shift, not a strategic change. From ideology to strategy, the Saudis and Iran are bitter rivals and committed adversaries. The writer is Executive Director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2023-03-13 00:00:00
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