US officials skeptical of China's deal but concerned about deterring Iran
China’s diplomatic reach into heart of Middle East was an unmistakable signal to Washington. Read more in the weekly security-focused newsletter from Al-Monitor’s Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba.
China dealt the Biden administration a startling diplomatic upset by brokering a restoration of ties between adversaries Saudi Arabia and Iran late last week.
That the Chinese Communist Party’s first ever demonstration of diplomatic mediation outside of East Asia reached the heart of the Middle East — a region long dominated by the United States — was an unmistakable signal.
With one clever move, Beijing appears to have assumed the mantle of peacemaker for years-long talks, achieving in just three months what could ostensibly develop into a new chapter in regional relations — all while undermining the nascent US-led strategic architecture designed to achieve the same goal of stability.
Publicly, Biden administration officials brushed off the news, saying they were supportive of the initiative all along and that it serves Washington’s interests anyway. The latter part is certainly true, insofar as regional peace goes.
