In an out-of-control Middle East — where chaos engulfs almost half the area and regional powers are proving themselves helpless against the new the Islamic State (IS) phenomenon — the serious need for a radical review of policies and alliances has finally become clear. Three main blocs are currently in conflict on several fronts: the “moderate” bloc, consisting of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Jordan; the resistance bloc of Iran, Syria, Iraq and Hezbollah; and the Turkey-Qatar alliance, which can be described as a pro-Muslim Brotherhood bloc.

As these alliances engage in wars from Libya to Iraq, the territory controlled by IS continues to grow. As of late August, IS dominates an area bordering on Turkey and Jordan that spreads from northeastern Aleppo, in Syria, to Jalawla, in eastern Iraq, a mere 38 kilometers (23.6 miles) from Iran. The Iranians are concerned, and the Saudis even more so; meanwhile, the United States, although undecided on a final strategy to defeat this new enemy, has at least made a decision to confront it and has begun doing so.

In Jeddah on Aug. 24, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan and Egypt gathered to discuss the Syrian conflict and other “challenges, including the rise of terrorist extremist ideology.” In an official statement, they expressed their agreement on “the need to seriously work to deal with these crises and challenges to preserve security and stability in Arab countries.” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry had released an earlier statement indicating the meeting would focus on “the growing presence in Iraq and Syria of extremists,” notably IS. The rise of IS means that the “search for a political solution to the Syria crisis [is] needed more than ever.”

On Aug. 25, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iran’s undersecretary for Arab and African affairs, paid a surprising visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal to discuss regional matters and bilateral relations. Amir Abdollahian had “positive meetings and agreed with the Saudi official on opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries," a source in Tehran told Al-Monitor. “The meeting involved the regional matters of mutual interest to both countries — the Israeli war on Gaza, the situation in Syria, the growing threat the extremists in Iraq and Syria pose to regional security and the importance of Saudi-Iranian cooperation to confront terrorism and extremism in the region.”