Iran-Saudi-China Accord A Wake-up Call For India?

Recently regional rivals Saudi and Iran signed an agreement brokered by China to normalize ties and reopen embassies. This is an important topic for GS-2 segment of the IAS exam.

Iran and Saudi Accord:

• According to the agreement Iran and Saudi agreed to reopen their diplomatic missions in both countries.
• They also agreed to reenact the 27 May 1988 agreement on multi-sectoral cooperation.
• Both nations also agreed to respect mutual sovereignty and not interfere in each other’s internal issues.
• Agreement implicitly agrees that proxy war based on common sectarian identity has led to instability in the region.

Iran-Saudi relations:

• The two nations have been in conflict directly and indirectly since the rise of the Arab spring in 2011.
• The two nations supported proxies in the region based on their sectarian identities which led to a proxy war between them in Syria, Libya and prominently Yemen.
• Tensions reached a high after Saudi beheaded a Shia cleric and diplomatic relations came to a pause between the two nations.
• Saudi oil facilities were attacked using missiles by Houthis who are proxies of Iran.

Implications of Accord:

• The new agreement will make Saudi relations with Israel more complex and the Abraham accord which was signed under US influence to isolate Iran in west Asia will be strained.
• Saudi Arabia has a reluctance to openly engage with Israel due to unresolved Palestinian issues and a lack of accommodative stance by Israel towards Palestinians.
• Saudi Arabia’s conditions such as its civil nuclear programme and security guarantee to engage with Israelis is also unheeded by the US which gives more reason for Saudi Arabia to have close ties with China.
• With the deal, China has emerged as a political and economic power in the region.
• China is also moving in to fulfil the strategic vacuum created by US activities such as the US pivot in Indo-Pacific, Europe and Ukraine war.
• According to an Iranian government official, the agreement is expected to change the dynamics of the region.
• Western sanctions on Iran also led to China engaging significantly with Iran in terms of energy and goods trade.
• Both nations Saudi and Iran realize that the shift towards non-renewable energy by the US and European countries will leave them with markets in Asia.
• With the signing of the agreement, there are chances for an end to the Yemen conflict which Saudi has been looking for provided that Iran also cooperates.

Implication for India:

• The recent agreement is a wake-up call for India because, Pakistan, which is a Chinese ally is going to gain from the new alliance.
• Recently the I2U2 group which consists of India, Israel, the UAE and the US have met and it leaves India in a group that is isolated by the new convergence of the China-Iran-Saudi alliance.
• The right-wing government in Israel under Netanyahu is also making rapprochement between conservative Arab nations and Israel difficult.
• China is displaying readiness to shape regional politics and India must be aware of such developments by avoiding any grouping created by outside powers.

Iran-Saudi-China Accord A Wake-up Call For India?:- Download PDF Here