The sea of Oman: It used to be a battleground between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Today, both nations are holding joint military drills there. The two regional superpowers, who have been arch enemies for decades, are finally joining forces.
When two enemies bury the hatchet, it drills a massive hole in USA’s pocket. While it’s sad news for the military industrial complex in US, it’s another testament to the effectiveness of BRICS bloc. It again shows that BRICS is indeed the future.
Riyadh on Wednesday confirmed its armed forces had taken part in war games with Tehran. Oman and Russian vessels also participated in the drills. Now, that’s a really bold message to the West, by both the Saudis and Iran.
It was only in these waters where Iran’s navy had once seized US-linked and other tankers over the past few years, hiking concerns that the Strait of Hormuz might become the site of conflict. Iran has also used military drills as a show of strength against the US.
Then, everything changed when China brokered a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year. Many observers had then said that the deal would die by itself and it was doomed to collapse. But then came the additional support from BRICS.
Both nations have been formally invited to join the bloc of developing nations. While Iran has already joined, Saudi Arabia is also expected to come on board in coming months.
During this time, Saudi Arabia has pivoted away from its reliance on US security support in recent years, turning toward other partners such as China, a key trade partner, and Russia, which is part of the OPEC+ oil production framework. Saudis also share strong trade and diplomatic ties with India.
You see, Saudis now no longer need USA’s security umbrella because their biggest security threat Iran is already in the process of burying the past.
The co-operation between the two nations is also poised to bring peace to Yemen. The two states support opposing sides in the conflict-torn nation. While the coalition of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) backs the Yemen government, Iran arms and supports the Houthi rebels in the country. In fact, the Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel.
It is also important to note that US-Saudi ties have suffered a major setback over the past four years. During this time, Gulf Arab countries were attacked by groups with ties to Iran several times, raising doubts whether the US will be able to defend them in the event of an Iranian strike.
Secondly, now if Donald Trump comes back to power, he is expected to continue his radical anti-Iran agenda. He has even called for strikes on Iran’s nuclear and oil targets.
Saudis fear that it can further disrupt the region’s stability, forcing the country to again rely on US security umbrella.
But both nations have realised, fighting among themselves is only going to fulfil American interests. We can truly call it the victory of BRICS, a bloc that stands for unity and peace. Earlier, we saw how India and China, the two biggest economies in the bloc, buried their past and agreed on resuming co-operation along their border.
As US and NATO keep fuelling the war machineries in Gaza and Ukraine, it’s now on BRICS to defy all the odds and bring peace to these regions as well.