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The Saudis Want to Diversify Their Relationships, Not Switch Teams

(Asia News-Italy) Dario Salvi - Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in an interview that the resumption of Saudi-Iran relations "has triggered an exaggerated reaction both about China's emergence as a regional powerbroker and about a strategic shift of Riyadh away from its traditional partners toward Beijing. In my view, the decision was principally a tactical decision by Riyadh to achieve near-term calm in Yemen and other fronts with Iran so as to pursue its energetic policy of domestic economic, social and cultural reform with a minimum of external security threats." "The Saudis had finally tired of successive [U.S.] administrations either tying Saudi hands or signaling their eagerness to unshackle themselves from regional security responsibilities. But restoring relations with Iran does not mean Riyadh is leaving the American security orbit in favor of an alliance with Tehran. Saudi ties with the U.S. national security infrastructure are too deep - and Saudi differences with Iran on ideological, political, and strategic matters too profound - for this to be more than a tactical shift."
2023-03-16 00:00:00
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