... confident in their own power and resilience.
It is still possible to maintain a limited military presence near and far, as Recep Tayyip Erdogan does in Syria and Libya. But repeating the experience of the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s, with hundreds of thousands killed and millions wounded, is now a no-go: Middle Eastern societies have changed too much over the past 40 years, and the region has advanced too far down the path of postmodernity. It is hardly a coincidence that the strongest proponents of ...
... countries are no strangers to American betrayal. Over the past couple of decades, they have witnessed
Washington use false accusation as casus belli to attack Iraq,
leave their Kurdish allies at the Turks’ mercy
and
abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban
... ... and prosperity to the rest of the world, yet it has only seen the Middle East consistently set ablaze.
Regional powers such as Saudi Arabia continue to strike Faustian bargain with the U.S., as it is the only country in the world both capable and willing ...
... trade and economic cooperation, provoking new tensions with the United States.
Yuliya Alekseeva:
China in the Mashriq: New Best Friend
As a key trading partner of the Gulf states, China has more than
doubled
its oil imports between 2010 and 2020. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait and the UAE act as key oil suppliers to the Middle Kingdom. Chinese companies are expanding their footprint in infrastructure and technology projects of the region. Chinese banks are
providing
funds for major projects,...
... a
fait accompli
for the United States, since the president’s decision was made on the basis of the 1995 Congressional Jerusalem Embassy
Act 104
, which all of Trump’s predecessors did not have enough daring to enforce.
Jin Liangxiang:
The Palestine ... ... as regards the Palestinian agenda, consistently continued the line of Biden’s predecessor.
The main effort was directed at Saudi Arabia, given that the U.S.-Saudi relations have markedly deteriorated under the new administration. The itinerary of the ...
... showing signs that is it changing. It would not be an overstatement to say that a lot of what is happening now would have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago.
The greatest of these changes is the China-mediated rapprochement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given that these countries are regional “centers of power”, their new and improved relations may help reduce regional tensions in certain countries like Yemen.
Another significant factor that is driving ...
... government. The leaders of the UAE and Oman received visits from President Bashar Assad, while Algeria openly called for the return of Syria to the LAS in November 2022 at a summit held in the country’s capital. Yet, it is believed that the tough stance of Saudi Arabia, unhappy with Damascus’ close ties with Tehran, was an obstacle. The March agreement to reduce tensions between the KSA and the IRI apparently changed the Kingdom’s attitude towards Bashar al-Assad for the better. Riyadh’s approach ...
... provinces in the neighboring Syria has once again drawn the attention of the international community not only to the loss of thousands of lives and colossal destruction but also to the extent to which these natural disasters may affect the prospects of national ... ... Bahrain), the establishment of normal interstate relations with Syria, the maintenance of hidden channels of communication between Saudi Arabia and Iran with the assistance of Arab partners, the growing role of the UAE, Egypt and Qatar as moderators of internal ...
... gesture, though: more of a tribute to his election campaign. This position is also enshrined, albeit one-sidedly, in the Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration. Apart from passing remarks about his intention to promote dialogue ... ... a new regional security system.
The most complicated and sensitive part of the president’s Middle East tour—the trip to Saudi Arabia—had two dimensions to it. First, a normalization of the long-struggling bilateral relations with a new focus on ...
... JCPOA. For them, this is a sign that their interests are not represented in a global deal that directly affects regional security.
Alexander Kozintsev:
Political Transformations in Iran: How to Keep up with the Times
The Middle Eastern allies of the USA
Major regional players, such as Saudi Arabia or Israel, will be wary of the Biden administration’s first actions regarding the return of the United States to the JCPOA and the sanctions relief. The Israelis are openly against the deal concluded under Barack Obama. Given that J. Biden ...
As the OPEC+ deal has expired, Russia and Saudi Arabia remain at odds, though the United States offered encouraging words that production cuts might be negotiated
The Russian-Saudi feud over oil production has destabilized the market even as the industry faces anemic demand and the potential ...
