Opinion: Opinion | Is Saudi Arabia Now Quietly Switching Sides In US-Iran War?
The article analyzes Saudi Arabia's conspicuous absence from the recent escalation between the US and Iran. It notes that Saudi officials are maintaining diplomatic channels with Iran, suggesting a potential shift in regional alignment.
Why it matters
A shift in Saudi-Iranian relations could fundamentally alter the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East.
The recent escalation between the US and Iran has a major actor missing - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Iran pounded US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait and surprisingly even in Oman, the friendliest Gulf countries to Iran and ones where a majority of the mediation between Iran and the US has taken place - not only during the current conflict but decades ago, too. But, conspicuously, Saudi Arabia is not in the picture. Instead, it sent a delegation to the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel strike (much of the West had stayed away from the funeral), while Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, are regularly speaking to each other.</p><!--dsk1-->
The framing of the conflict and the focus on 'switching sides' reflects a speculative geopolitical analysis common in opinion-based international reporting.
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