Saudi-Iran agreement ‘a beacon of hope’ for regional peace

Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: The recent peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran brokered by China was the beginning of a ‘new order’ in the Middle East said Prof. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Khan of the University of Central Punjab. Since China was not aiming at replacing the US in the region, there would not power struggle between the two powers in the future, at least from the Chinese side, he added.

According to Dr. Khan, who spoke at a webinar organized by the Institute of Regional Studies, on Saudi-Iran rapprochement, China had never challenged the US interests in the region in the past and had no intention to do so in the future.

On implications of the recent agreement, Dr. Khan said that the Saudi-Iran rapprochement would help defuse tensions in the region, particularly in Yemen. Commenting on China’s mediatory role, he said it was not something new as China had centuries-old relations with the countries in the region, and it was just the renewal of old ties, he added. While highlighting the importance of China-Iran relations, Dr. Khan said Tehran had a central position in China’s silk route as it provided alternate energy supply routes in case of a blockade in the Indian Oceans.

Earlier, in her opening remarks, Ms. Aman Nisar Abbasi, Research Officer at IRS said that the normalization process was in shambles for the last several years. It was Beijing’s effective diplomacy that led to a successful agreement between the two traditional rivals in the region, she added.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Rida Tanvir, Lecturer at NUML said that the recent agreement was a massive victory of Chinese diplomacy as both Tehran and Riyadh showed their complete trust on Beijing. Nevertheless, it was a litmus test for China’s Global Security Initiative, she added. The agreement received global appreciation including from the US but with a word of caution, she further said.

Ms. Tanvir maintained that Iran-Saudi rapprochement was critical for a ‘safe, fair and secure Middle East in the years to come’. She claimed that the agreement under the goodwill gesture of China had positive implications for South Asia, especially Pakistan-India relations. Echoing Dr. Khan’s statement on the implications, Ms. Tanvir said that the agreement would help end the war in Yemen, a conflict wherein both Iran and Saudi Arabia were deeply entrenched.

On a concluding note, Mr. Syed Imran Sardar, Research Analyst at IRS said that the Saudi-Iran peace agreement was indeed a significant step, however, the sustainability of the said agreement was hanging on how far Riyadh and Tehran could compromise on their longstanding issues in actual terms. China’s continued interest in the whole mediation process was also important in that regard, he stressed.