His announcement Iran And her Saudi Arabia that the restoration of diplomatic relations could lead to a redistribution of forces and balances in the region Middle East.

This same development of events is also a diplomatic victory for China, which mediated negotiations between Tehran and Riyadh. Due to Chinese mediation, this could also be perceived as a geopolitical challenge for Washington, which does not want Beijing to significantly increase its influence on the international stage.

According to what was announced today, Iran and Saudi Arabia are restoring diplomatic relations after a seven-year hiatus. Within the next two months, embassies in the two countries were to reopen. At the same time, trade, investment and cultural agreements, as well as security cooperation between the two countries, should be restored.

But as Ben Hubbard and Shashank Bengali point out in their analysis for the New York Times, restoring diplomatic ties may not be able to overcome a rivalry like that between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which is so deeply rooted in divisions over religion and politics.

Why is this deal important?

The geopolitical landscape is now changing in the Middle East and beyond as Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United States, re-establishes diplomatic ties with Washington’s longtime enemy, Iran.

It remains to be seen if the deal will affect Saudi participation in Israeli and US efforts to counter Iran.

However, the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two regional powers is a sign of a partial or even temporary de-escalation.

What are the implications for the Middle East?

In recent years, rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been found to fuel conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Hearing today’s news about the restoration of Iranian-Saudi diplomatic relations, many in the world were surprised. However, it is worth noting that Saudi and Iranian intelligence officials have met in Iraq in recent years.

A formal restoration of diplomatic relations between them could act as a détente on some fronts, opening channels for a de-escalation of regional tensions.

What was the role of China?

Iran and Saudi Arabia announced the deal after talks in China.

Today’s announcement highlights Beijing’s growing political and economic influence in the region. At the same time, it also indicates China’s desire to play a more important diplomatic role on the world stage.

Recall that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in December last year.

“China wants stability in the region because it gets more than 40% of its energy from the Persian Gulf,” says Jonathan Fulton of the Atlantic Council.

It also shows that regional leaders value China for elements such as its “non-intervention” in the internal affairs of other countries.

What does this mean for the US

Today’s news has caused concern even in Washington. Mark Dubovitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank sees this as a “defeat” for the US, arguing that China is building up its influence in the Middle East and that Saudi Arabia is no longer as credible as it once was in Washington.

On the other hand, if this restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia leads to a reduction in tensions in the Middle East region, this may ultimately be good for the Biden administration, which already has other open fronts in Ukraine and Asia.

Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute argues that restoring stability in the Middle East actually benefits the United States. “We support all efforts to reduce tensions in the region,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, but expressed doubts that the Iranians would abide by the agreement.

What does this mean for Israel?

The news caused surprise and concern in Israel, which has no diplomatic relations with either Saudi Arabia or Iran. Israeli leaders see Iran as an enemy and an existential threat. However, Saudi Arabia is seen as a potential partner, and in this context, they hoped that they could build ties with Riyadh based on Iranian rivalry.

However, despite the normalization of diplomatic relations, Saudi Arabia may continue to view Iran as an adversary and, in this context, could consider working more closely with Israel, especially on military cooperation and cyber security.

What thorns remained between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia have traditionally competed for influence in the Muslim world. The Iranians have sharply criticized the Saudis for their relationship with the US. The two countries also supported opposing forces on the fronts in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

What could be the deeper motives of the Saudi leadership

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has taken a more pragmatic stance towards the “outside world” in recent years, be it neighboring countries or the United States. And this, while at the same time advancing its core economic vision for 2030, the vision of diversifying the Saudi economy, which aims to reduce dependence on oil and hydrocarbon revenues in the future. Reducing regional tensions is central to this vision. However, at the same time, attempts are being made by Mohammed bin Salman to turn Saudi Arabia into a world power and reduce its dependence on the United States.

According to the New York Times