<p>With China at the centre of the geopolitical picture, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties after their seven years of bilateral estrangement in West Asia. The deal, which entails Iran and Saudi Arabia reopening their embassies and missions in each other’s cities within two months, indicates a shifting of sands&nbsp;in Beijing's favour in a region where&nbsp;the United States has waged conflicts&nbsp;and spent hundreds of billions of dollars in providing security for its allies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which China mediated, reflects a new reality in West Asia, namely, that China is now a geopolitical and economic power in the region with the ability to influence bilateral relationships and security dynamics," Washington-based Middle East Institute's Mohammed Soliman, the intellectual architect of I2U2 (India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States) group told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-saudi-arabia-agree-to-restore-relations-report-570638">Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore diplomatic ties, reopen embassies</a></strong></p>

<p>While the spotlight is on China's increasing influence in West Asia as it wades from economic sphere to substantive mediation efforts in the region, it does not displace the United States as the primary security actor in the Gulf, argues Anna Jacobs, senior Gulf Analyst at Brussels-based International Crisis Group.</p>

<p>Saudi Arabia is the largest Foreign Military Sales customer of the United States, with over $100 billion in active FMS cases, according to the latest data published by the US State Department.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"However, China-brokered Saudi-Iran deal does reflect Beijing's increasing influence in the Gulf beyond the economic sphere. China seems ready to wade more substantively into dialogue and mediation efforts in the region, which reflects China's rising geopolitical clout," Jacobs added.</p>

<h2><strong>Beijing's diplomacy outfoxes West</strong></h2>

<p>China in recent years has spent significant diplomatic capital to build closer economic ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Shia and Sunni powerhouses of the Islamic world rivalling each other's geostrategic trajectories.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Saudi-Iran deal shows a desire from both countries to deal with their differences through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than conflict and proxy competition," Jacobs said.</p>

<p>Chinese leader Xi Jinping raised the idea of the talks most recently during a state visit to Riyadh in December, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Wall Street Journal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: China, Iran &amp; Russia to create a new World Order?</strong></p>

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<p>While Riyadh is an important oil supplier to the world’s second-largest economy, Beijing has made a special effort to make significant oil purchases from Tehran despite the United States-led sanctions against Iran for its reported nuclear belligerence in the region.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Saudi-Iran ties: The hostilities of recent past</strong></h2>

<p>The Saudi-Iran ties soured in January 2016 after the execution of a prominent Saudi Arabia Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr. Following the execution, a mob in Tehran stormed the Saudi embassy while another set the Saudi consulate in Mashhad on fire. Mashhad is Iran's second most populous city located about 900 km east of Tehran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The already strained Saudi-Iran ties were severed shortly after.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2019, the two sides were on the brink of war when Iran was blamed for missile and drone attacks on a Saudi oil field.</p>

<h2><strong>Saudi-Iran ties restored: Implications for conflicts in West Asia</strong></h2>

<p>Since the beginning of the civil war in Yemen in 2014, Iran has been accused of backing Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Shiite movement fighting Yemen's Sunni-dominated government. But as part of the deal, Iran has reportedly pledged to halt attacks against Saudi Arabia, including from Houthi rebels it has admitted supporting 'politically' in the past.</p>

<p>"It would be difficult for Saudi Arabia to agree to a roadmap for normalising relations with Iran without serious security assurances from Iran in Yemen, as well as on a host of other issues," Jacobs said, reflecting on the importance of restoration of a number of bilateral agreements between Tehran and Riyadh after Friday's breakthrough, including a Security Cooperation Agreement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Soliman urges caution on a wider expectation related to the cessation of hostilities in the region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There are no clear guarantees from China that it might push Iran to change its approach to the region, particularly in Yemen," Soliman advises.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Yemen, a United Nations-negotiated ceasefire between the Houthi rebels and Yemeni government expired in October 2022 but a de-facto truce continues to remain in place, leading to a&nbsp;pause in fighting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Friday's breakthrough, the need for a more permanent ceasefire in Yemen are being felt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In Yemen, there is already a de-facto truce without a formal truce, which has been positive, but the Saudi-Iran deal suggests there could be a more permanent ceasefire deal in the making in Yemen," Jacobs said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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With China at the centre of the geopolitical picture, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties after their seven years of bilateral estrangement in West Asia.

With China at the centre of the geopolitical picture, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties after their seven years of bilateral estrangement in West Asia. The deal, which entails Iran and Saudi Arabia reopening their embassies and missions in each other’s cities within two months, indicates a shifting of sands in Beijing's favour in a region where the United States has waged conflicts and spent hundreds of billions of dollars in providing security for its allies. "The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which China mediated, reflects a new reality in West Asia, namely, that China is now a geopolitical and economic power in the region with the ability to influence bilateral relationships and security dynamics," Washington-based Middle East Institute's Mohammed Soliman, the intellectual architect of I2U2 (India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States) group told WION. ALSO READ | Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore diplomatic ties, reopen embassies While the spotlight is on China's increasing influence in West Asia as it wades from economic sphere to substantive mediation efforts in the region, it does not displace the United States as the primary security actor in the Gulf, argues Anna Jacobs, senior Gulf Analyst at Brussels-based International Crisis Group. Saudi Arabia is the largest Foreign Military Sales customer of the United States, with over $100 billion in active FMS cases, according to the latest data published by the US State Department. "However, China-brokered Saudi-Iran deal does reflect Beijing's increasing influence in the Gulf beyond the economic sphere. China seems ready to wade more substantively into dialogue and mediation efforts in the region, which reflects China's rising geopolitical clout," Jacobs added. Beijing's diplomacy outfoxes West China in recent years has spent significant diplomatic capital to build closer economic ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Shia and Sunni powerhouses of the Islamic world rivalling each other's geostrategic trajectories. "The Saudi-Iran deal shows a desire from both countries to deal with their differences through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than conflict and proxy competition," Jacobs said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping raised the idea of the talks most recently during a state visit to Riyadh in December, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Wall Street Journal. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas Plus: China, Iran & Russia to create a new World Order? × While Riyadh is an important oil supplier to the world’s second-largest economy, Beijing has made a special effort to make significant oil purchases from Tehran despite the United States-led sanctions against Iran for its reported nuclear belligerence in the region. Saudi-Iran ties: The hostilities of recent past The Saudi-Iran ties soured in January 2016 after the execution of a prominent Saudi Arabia Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr. Following the execution, a mob in Tehran stormed the Saudi embassy while another set the Saudi consulate in Mashhad on fire. Mashhad is Iran's second most populous city located about 900 km east of Tehran. The already strained Saudi-Iran ties were severed shortly after. In 2019, the two sides were on the brink of war when Iran was blamed for missile and drone attacks on a Saudi oil field. Saudi-Iran ties restored: Implications for conflicts in West Asia Since the beginning of the civil war in Yemen in 2014, Iran has been accused of backing Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Shiite movement fighting Yemen's Sunni-dominated government. But as part of the deal, Iran has reportedly pledged to halt attacks against Saudi Arabia, including from Houthi rebels it has admitted supporting 'politically' in the past. "It would be difficult for Saudi Arabia to agree to a roadmap for normalising relations with Iran without serious security assurances from Iran in Yemen, as well as on a host of other issues," Jacobs said, reflecting on the importance of restoration of a number of bilateral agreements between Tehran and Riyadh after Friday's breakthrough, including a Security Cooperation Agreement. But Soliman urges caution on a wider expectation related to the cessation of hostilities in the region. "There are no clear guarantees from China that it might push Iran to change its approach to the region, particularly in Yemen," Soliman advises. In Yemen, a United Nations-negotiated ceasefire between the Houthi rebels and Yemeni government expired in October 2022 but a de-facto truce continues to remain in place, leading to a pause in fighting. After Friday's breakthrough, the need for a more permanent ceasefire in Yemen are being felt. "In Yemen, there is already a de-facto truce without a formal truce, which has been positive, but the Saudi-Iran deal suggests there could be a more permanent ceasefire deal in the making in Yemen," Jacobs said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Iran, Saudi Arabia restore ties as China-brokered deal outfoxes West

<p>Seven years after Iran cut off its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the restoration of Tehran-Riyadh relations may very well take place. The possibility of bilateral restoration of relations between the two west asian rivals is expected after Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that two sides are looking for ways to normalise relations between the two sides.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-it-and-saudi-arabia-interested-in-more-talks-497147">Iran-Saudi Arabia interested in more talks</a></strong></p>

<p>"There was an agreement in our points of view to continue with the Saudi-Iran dialogue in what would eventually normalise relations between the two countries," Amirabdollahian told a group of reporters on Friday in Beirut, while referring to the meeting with his Saudi counterpart in Jordan last month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This was the highest level of interaction between Saudi Arabia and Iran since 2016.</p>

<p>"We welcome the restoration of normal relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Amirabdollahian said. The hope, he added, is that eventually "we reach (an agreement on) reopening diplomatic missions and embassies in Riyadh and Tehran."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-west-asia-post-is-iran-trying-to-med-its-ties-with-saudi-arabia-529247">The West Asia Post | Is Iran trying to mend its ties with Saudi Arabia?</a></strong></p>

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<p>The Saudi-Iran talks began in April 2021 with an aim for bilateral restoration of diplomatic relations. The talks, brokered by Iraq, were viewed as important given the long history of friction between the Shia and Sunni powerhouses respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict</strong></p>

<p>The Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, also referred as the Middle Eastern Cold War, is an ongoing struggle for influence in West Asia between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh sees itself&nbsp;as the leader of Islamic world due to presence of Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. This notion was challenged after 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, following which the Shia-majority Iran began asserting its authority in West Asia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Seven years after Iran cut off its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the restoration of Tehran-Riyadh relations may very well take place.

Seven years after Iran cut off its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the restoration of Tehran-Riyadh relations may very well take place. The possibility of bilateral restoration of relations between the two west asian rivals is expected after Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that two sides are looking for ways to normalise relations between the two sides. ALSO READ | Iran-Saudi Arabia interested in more talks "There was an agreement in our points of view to continue with the Saudi-Iran dialogue in what would eventually normalise relations between the two countries," Amirabdollahian told a group of reporters on Friday in Beirut, while referring to the meeting with his Saudi counterpart in Jordan last month. This was the highest level of interaction between Saudi Arabia and Iran since 2016. "We welcome the restoration of normal relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Amirabdollahian said. The hope, he added, is that eventually "we reach (an agreement on) reopening diplomatic missions and embassies in Riyadh and Tehran." ALSO WATCH | The West Asia Post | Is Iran trying to mend its ties with Saudi Arabia? × The Saudi-Iran talks began in April 2021 with an aim for bilateral restoration of diplomatic relations. The talks, brokered by Iraq, were viewed as important given the long history of friction between the Shia and Sunni powerhouses respectively. Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict The Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, also referred as the Middle Eastern Cold War, is an ongoing struggle for influence in West Asia between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh sees itself as the leader of Islamic world due to presence of Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. This notion was challenged after 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, following which the Shia-majority Iran began asserting its authority in West Asia. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Iran-Saudi Arabia close on restoration of bilateral ties after latest talks

Saudi Arabia is on high alert. The Kingdom has reason to believe that an attack by Iran is "imminent". Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: Threat of Iranian attack: Saudi Arabia on high alert