Iran and Saudi Arabia Announce Restoration of Diplomatic Ties; A “Critical Blow” for Israel
Last Friday, Saudi Arabia announced it would reopen diplomatic channels with Iran. The talks between the two nations were mediated by China.
For months, Israel and the US had been hinting that Saudi Arabia would be the next nation to enter the Abraham Accords. But the “big prize”—what Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls peace between the Gulf Kingdom and the Jewish state—appears to have moved farther away than ever.
The Saudis had been in discussions with the United States looking to gain certain security agreements and help with its civilian nuclear program. Coming to terms with the US was seen as a pre-condition for Saudi Arabia entering into normalization with Israel.
The rift between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two powerhouses in the Muslim world, originated 14 centuries ago, around 632 AD. The split of Islam into two major sects—Sunni and Shia—occurred over a disagreement about the rightful successor to the founder of Islam, Mohammed. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni Muslim majority, and Iran is 95 percent Shiite Muslim.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran now has 83.7% enriched uranium, putting them close to the 90% required to make a nuclear bomb. Iran’s ayatollah continues to breathe threats of destroying Israel and having the means to do it appears to soon be within reach.
Following Friday’s announcement, Riyadh and Tehran’s next move will be to reopen their embassies in each other’s countries.
(Photo credit: By U.S. Department of State from United States - Secretary Pompeo Meets with the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Public Domain; and By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0)
