Saudi Arabia's diplomatic maneuvering is truly impressive! Initially, one might have expected that a Middle Eastern war would completely rupture relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Yet unexpectedly, despite this, Saudi Arabia ultimately sent a delegation led by its Deputy Foreign Minister to attend the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Khamenei. Clearly, this move demonstrates that Saudi Arabia has a very clear and sober mind. Why is Saudi Arabia so remarkably clear-minded?
This can be explained at least from three perspectives. First, it shows that Saudi Arabia fully recognizes America's unreliability. The U.S. has continuously pressured Gulf states to take sides, even threatening Saudi Arabia and other nations with incidents involving Iranian officials and domestic unrest, pressuring countries to isolate Tehran through blockade measures. However, Saudi Arabia clearly understands in its heart that, with the U.S. no longer dependable, both countries will still need to coexist in the future—there's simply no way to completely sever ties.
Second, by attending the funeral proactively, Saudi Arabia indicates it clearly realizes that achieving peace and stability in the Middle East requires managing relations with Iran properly. Saudi Arabia’s core strategic goal is advancing its "Vision 2030" plan to reduce dependence on oil. If Saudi Arabia were to skip such a major national event as Iran’s state funeral, it could provoke backlash from hardliners within Iran, potentially leading to an irreversible deterioration of bilateral relations.
Third, Saudi Arabia’s decision to send a delegation to Iran for the mourning ceremony also sends a clear message to the entire Middle East: regional disputes should be resolved primarily through dialogue among the involved countries themselves. Iran and Saudi Arabia are both Muslim brother nations; even if their differences run deep, they remain family matters. This opens up room for resolving issues like those concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Undoubtedly, Iran will feel pleased by Saudi Arabia’s attendance, which helps Iran break out of its diplomatic isolation. In fact, Saudi Arabia’s participation was extremely well-calibrated. Instead of sending a prince or the foreign minister, they chose a deputy foreign minister—this clearly reflects existing tensions between the two nations. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia’s diplomacy remains pragmatic and highly wise.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869743381233675/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.