Jack Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, left last weekend for a visit to Saudi Arabia, during which he will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the latest developments in the region, primarily Saudi Arabia’s approach to the Chinese-Russian-Iranian axis.
Sullivan’s visit comes after CIA chief William Burns’ visit to Saudi Arabia 3 weeks ago, during which he conveyed to the Saudi royal house the White House’s displeasure with Saudi Arabia’s latest steps.
According to American sources, Jack Sullivan will try to keep Saudi Arabia close to the bosom of the US, President Biden visited Saudi Arabia last summer and even then it was possible to notice the beginning of Saudi Arabia’s distance from the US and its new approach to China and Russia.
Israel has high hopes from Jack Sullivan’s visit to Saudi Arabia that it will lead to a breakthrough in its efforts to normalize its relations with the Saudi royal family, Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of the National Security Council said on May 5th that Israel is very optimistic about achieving a breakthrough during the visit of Jack Sullivan in Saudi Arabia regarding normalization between the two countries.
Jack Sullivan said before leaving for Saudi Arabia that the US is working to achieve normalization in relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and that ultimately it is in the interest of American national security.
Until the results of Jack Sullivan’s visit to Saudi Arabia become fully known, it is important to pay attention to the major change that has taken place in Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in recent weeks.
The new Saudi Arabia is completely different from the Saudi Arabia we knew until recently, what drives it is the preservation of the kingdom’s interests only and that is what guides it in determining its foreign policy.
Saudi Investments Minister Khaled Al Falah said a few days ago that Saudi Arabia’s relations with the US will not be at the expense of its relations with other countries and that the Kingdom’s decisions are based on its interest.
Saudi sources explain that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, came to the conclusion that Saudi Arabia’s policy in the last decade was wrong and therefore needs to change, its policy has led to regional instability and the increase of external threats to the kingdom.
That is why Saudi Arabia is now working to improve its image in the world and repair relations with its former enemies.
This is the main reason for the change in Saudi Arabia’s attitude towards Iran and the signing of an agreement with it to restore diplomatic relations after a 7-year break.
Saudi Arabia’s main task now is to bring an end to the war in Yemen in which it is involved, it sent a delegation to Sana’a and opened a dialogue with the Houthi rebels.
It also changed the attitude towards the Hamas movement and allowed the movement’s leadership to visit Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed bin Salman is now presenting his country as a country that is not interested in conflicts and is working to achieve peace in the region, it mediated last week between General Al-Burhan and General Hamidati to reach a ceasefire agreement in Sudan and took care of evacuating the Iranian citizens stuck in Sudan following the renewal of fighting in the country.
Saudi Arabia is also leading the effort of several countries to reconcile with Bashar Assad’s regime and return Syria to the Arab League after it was expelled from it a decade ago.
Arab commentators in the Middle East express great doubt on the success of Jack Sullivan’s mission to Saudi Arabia, in their estimation, the US lacks levers of pressure on Saudi Arabia, which today enjoys close relations with China, Russia and Iran.
Mohammed bin Salman decided to tighten the relationship with the Chinese-Russian axis strategically, militarily and economically, he came to the conclusion that Saudi Arabia’s relationship with this axis gives it much more security than its relationship with the American-European axis.
As for relations with Israel, Mohammed bin Salman is affected by the internal situation in Israel following the wave of protests over the judicial reform and the weakened relationship between it and the Biden administration.
All of this will be taken into account by him when he will consider what Saudi Arabia will gain from a normalization agreement now in its relations with Israel.
