Axis of Authoritarianism Rising: Iran, Saudi Strengthen Ties Through China

In a trilateral statement, Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia said they would reopen embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.

Riyadh cut ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr — just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding rivals.

The move could have deleterious effects across the Middle East.

“It kind of sets the scene for the region’s two superpowers to start to hash out their differences,” said Dina Esfandiary of the International Crisis Group.

“The potential downside of that, of course, is that if they are the ones who are divvying up the region and sorting things out amongst themselves, you start to lose sight of regional contexts and grievances, which could potentially be problematic.”

The news comes after months of similar relationship building exercises between China and Russia, prompting fears of a larger, global conflict over the horizon.