T.The Iran-Saudi deal, signed in Beijing on March 10, 2023, has unsurprisingly drawn international attention and met with mixed reactions. Some commentators have said how the deal strongly echoes China’s growing influence in the Middle East, and how Washington has lost influence in recent years as a result of its aggressive engagement with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. It points out whether
Some commentators have criticized US policy toward the Middle East. Article by Stephen M. Walt foreign policy The article, titled “Saudi Arabia-Iran de-escalation is a wake-up call to the US,” shows the fact that China was in a position to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran. regional. “
Walt also we It has a “special relationship” with some countries in the Middle East, but nothing at all with some others. As a result, countries like Saudi Arabia “take U.S. support for granted.”Walt too make The point is that the policy of isolating Iran has failed.
There is no doubt that China’s growing influence in the Middle East cannot be ignored, but what many analysts and commentators ignore is the fact that the US did not criticize the Saudi-Iran deal itself.
On the other hand, itwelcomed the dealIt said it should be considered positively as it could help stability in the Middle East. The US also said Saudi Arabia had informed the former about the deal.
Washington has expressed no confidence that Iran will honor the promises it made in the deal, and has openly expressed skepticism about China’s growing influence in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia agrees with US
Days after the Iran-Saudi deal, two Saudi airlines, the newly formed Riyadh Air and Saudi Airlines, also order Boeing 121 aircraft.White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre commented on the announcement Said: “A new milestone in 80 years of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and American industry.”
The deal between Saudi Arabia and the United States $37 billionThe newly established Riyadh Air is Riyadh As an aviation hub competing with Dubai (UAE) and as an important tourist destination. The deal clearly reiterates how Saudi Arabia has built strong economic ties with Washington, and while the Riyadh-Beijing bilateral relationship may be important, it will have a major impact on Washington DC-Riyadh relations. is unlikely to give It also highlights that some of the analysis of the Tehran-Riyadh deal goes too far when it comes to China’s influence in the Middle East.
India’s reaction to the deal
Importantly, India, which has been highly praised for its balanced approach to the war between Russia and Ukraine in recent years, has stepped up its ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Iran. I was able to do. While applauding the agreement, India advocated “Dialogue and Diplomacy as Ways of Resolving Differences”
India’s economic and strategic ties with Riyadh have seen a significant uptick in recent years, but India will continue to grow from 2021, not only in Afghanistan and Central Asia, but also in potentially Europe Via the INSTC Corridor, the International North-South Transportation Corridor. By 2022, India’s trade with Russia will INSTC It was rising despite the sanctions imposed on Russia.
Importantly, relations between Iran and India witnessed strain when India stopped buying oil from Iran. 2019 After the United States lifted sanctions exemptions it had offered India and other countries on oil imports from Iran. US sanctions also affected the progress of the Chabahar project. Iran.
Iran’s ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, has reiterated the importance of stimulating Chabahar, and Tehran has also urged India to resume purchases of Iranian oil. said the agreement should be viewed positively by India.Said Ellai: “..It will be beneficial for India as it will help strengthen stability and peace in the Persian Gulf region. China is competing with the United States as a superpower and India is a rising power.”
It is pertinent to point out that the Saudi-Iran deal is viewed purely through the lens of a simplistic geopolitical binary: the China-US conflict. Not only the United States, but even India, which has strained relations with China, has welcomed the deal. Middle East stability and better relations between the GCC countries and Iran will benefit countries that share strong ties with both countries.
[Photo by Tasnim News Agency]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi-based analyst with an interest in Punjab-Punjab relations and split studies.Co-authored by Maini “Humanity in Madness: Hope During and After the India Puck Divide” (New Delhi: UBSPD, 2008) with Tahir Malik and Ali Farouk Malik. he can be reached at [email protected]
