As fighting escalates – The collapse of the healthcare system in Sudan and the closure of hospitals
The confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has shaped events across the Middle East for more than 40 years, and after relations between the two countries returned, observers and experts believe it could have a positive impact on conflicts and disagreements in the region, as the two countries reached a historic agreement in March.
Resolving the Yemeni Crisis
“A deal brokered by China to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two countries with significant influence beyond their borders, could open the door to a new era in the Middle East,” said political scientist Jim Steinman, according to China’s CGTN network.
“We’ve gone from confrontation to engagement, and that requires a lot of effort,” said Hamoud Salehi, a professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills.
“According to the Chinese network, the agreement coincided with ongoing efforts to end Yemen’s nearly decade-long civil war, in which Saudi Arabia and Iran found themselves supporting opposing sides.”
“Saudi Arabia is looking for an exit strategy for Yemen from its current crisis, and Iran will play a role,” said Robert Mogielnicki, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
There is hope that these efforts will pay off sooner rather than later, the network said, especially after recent meetings between Houthi leaders and the Saudis as well as the exchange of nearly 900 prisoners.
“The Iranians and the Saudis, along with the Chinese, want a stable Gulf. “That means when you have to solve these outstanding issues you have.”
“Under the current situation, the ultimate beneficiary of recent geopolitical shifts is likely to be Tehran, where improved relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states could offer the regime an economic investment and strengthen its hand in negotiations to revive the eventual Iranian nuclear deal, the network explained.”
