During this period, the situation in the Middle East was complicated, and the United States was very busy in order to safeguard its interests in the region. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on another trip to the Middle East with the intention of conducting so-called "shuttle diplomacy" in this challenging region. However, like the previous ones, his trip did not seem to have brought any tangible results, but was frequently slapped in the face.
On February 5, Blinken arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Salman Jr. According to the analysis, the main purpose of this visit to Saudi Arabia is twofold: first, it is hoped that Saudi Arabia will support the US position on the Houthi issue in Yemen, especially to join the maritime escort group; The second is to strive for Saudi Arabia to align itself with the United States on the Palestinian-Israeli issue in order to put pressure on Iran.
However, the Saudis issued a statement the day after Blinken's arrival, slapping the United States in the face. The statement said that the Saudi side rejected the US proposal and did not intend to promote the normalization of relations with Israel unless Israel recognized the independence of Palestine and immediately stopped its aggression against the Gaza Strip and withdrew its occupying forces.
Obviously, these conditions are unacceptable to Israel. In other words, the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations, which the United States has vigorously promoted, has basically collapsed.
In May last year, the United States was still touting that their efforts had made great progress in normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations, and the three sides signed an agreement to jointly promote the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations and strive to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year. However, with the escalation of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October last year, the prospects for normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations have also been eclipsed, and now Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it will tear up the agreement and not accept the US proposal.
Why did you say that in front of Blinken? There are also some personal grievances with the United States that are mixed in.
We know that in recent times, the United States has carried out airstrikes against pro-Iranian forces in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, all of which are Arab countries. Especially in the context of the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the behavior of the United States has made Saudi Arabia very dissatisfied. As a result, Saudi Arabia decided not to pay attention to the pressure of the United States and no longer save face for Blinken.
Saudi Arabia's hardline stance is undoubtedly a blow to the United States' Middle East policy. The United States had hoped to further consolidate its influence in the Middle East through Saudi Arabia's cooperation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the normalization of relations with Israel, and to use it to exert more pressure on Iran and provide external assistance to Israel. However, Saudi Arabia's statement this time not only vetoed the key proposal of the United States, but also revealed a new change in the situation in the Middle East: Arab countries have begun to seek an independent foreign policy and no longer blindly cater to the strategic layout of the United States.
At the same time, the US military action in the Middle East has also aroused discontent and resentment in the region, which has undoubtedly weakened the credibility and position of the United States in the Arab world. With the strengthening trend of easing relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Middle Eastern countries are paying more attention to internal unity and stability, rather than being constrained by geopolitical games by external forces.
This series of events is showing the world that the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East is changing significantly, that the traditional influence of the United States is being challenged, and that Arab countries are increasingly inclined to take matters into their own hands. This is not only a warning to the United States, but also an appeal for long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.