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<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">Riyadh realigns: Tehran over Tel Aviv</h1><p class="gmail-">Persian
Gulf monarchies are quietly reorienting away from Tel Aviv and
Washington toward Tehran and a more promising multipolar-led security
order.</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/cradles-persian-gulf-correspondent" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">The Cradle's Persian Gulf Correspondent</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span style="color:rgb(84,88,94)">JUL 8, 2025 - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/riyadh-realigns-tehran-over-tel-aviv">https://thecradle.co/articles/riyadh-realigns-tehran-over-tel-aviv</a></font></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="https://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/29af38d6-5c06-11f0-9c71-00163e02c055.jpeg" alt="" width="394" height="186" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span><font size="1">Photo Credit: The Cradle</font></span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span class="gmail-article-body"><p>The
recent confrontation between Iran and Israel marked a decisive shift in
regional power equations, particularly in the Persian Gulf. Iran\u2019s
direct and calibrated military response \u2013 executed through the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) \u2013 <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/perception-vs-reality-what-the-israel-iran-war-actually-reveals">exposed</a>
the strategic vulnerabilities of Tel Aviv and forced Gulf capitals,
chiefly Riyadh, to reassess long-standing assumptions about regional
security.</p><p>The Saudi-led recalibration did not emerge in isolation.
Years of cumulative political, military, and diplomatic failures under
the umbrella of US-Israeli tutelage have pushed Persian Gulf states to
seek more viable, non-confrontational security arrangements. What we are
witnessing is the slow dismantling of obsolete alliances and the
opening of pragmatic, interest-driven channels with Tehran.</p><p><strong>Iran's war strategy resets Gulf expectations</strong></p><p>Tehran\u2019s handling of the latest military clash \u2013 with its reliance on precision strikes, regional alliances, and <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/a-global-oil-and-gas-catastrophe-has-been-averted-for-now">calibrated escalation</a>
\u2013 demonstrated a new level of deterrence. Using its regional networks,
missile bases, and sophisticated drones, Tehran managed the
confrontation very carefully, avoiding being drawn into all-out war, but
at the same time sending clear messages to the enemy about its ability
to deter and expand engagement if necessary.</p><p>The message to the
Gulf was clear: Iran is neither isolated nor vulnerable. It is capable
of shaping outcomes across multiple fronts without falling into
full-scale war.</p><p>Speaking to <i>The Cradle</i>, a well-informed Arab diplomat says:</p><blockquote><p>\u201cThis
war was a turning point in the Saudi thinking. Riyadh now understands
Iran is a mature military power, immune to coercion. Traditional
pressure no longer works. Saudi security now depends on direct
engagement with Iran \u2013 not on Israel, and certainly not under the
receding American security umbrella.\u201d</p></blockquote><p>At the heart of Saudi discontent lies Tel Aviv\u2019s escalating aggression against the Palestinians and its outright dismissal of <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/independent-palestine-only-solution-to-arab-israel-conflict-saudi-fm">Arab peace initiatives</a>,
including the Riyadh-led 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s intransigence \u2013 particularly the
aggressive expansion of settlements in Jerusalem and the occupied West
Bank \u2013 has alarmed the Saudis. </p><p>These provocations not only
sabotage diplomatic efforts but strike at the kingdom\u2019s pan-Islamic
legitimacy, forcing a reassessment of Israel\u2019s utility as a strategic
partner. As the diplomatic source notes:</p><blockquote><p>\u201cThis Israeli
political stalemate pushes Saudi Arabia to reconsider its regional bets
and view Iran as a regional power factor that cannot be ignored.\u201d </p></blockquote><p><strong>Riyadh turns to Tehran: containment over confrontation</strong></p><p>Behind
closed doors, Saudi Arabia is advancing a strategy of \u201cpositive
containment\u201d with Iran. This marks a clear departure from the era of
proxy wars and ideological hostility. Riyadh is no longer seeking
confrontation \u2013 it is seeking coordination, particularly on issues of
regional security and energy.</p><p>Diplomatic sources inform <i>The Cradle</i> that the reopening of embassies and stepped-up security coordination are not mere side effects of <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/exclusive-the-hidden-security-clauses-of-the-iran-saudi-deal">Chinese mediation</a>. They reflect a deeper Saudi conviction: that <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/articles">normalization</a> with Israel yields no meaningful security dividends, especially after Tel Aviv\u2019s exposed vulnerabilities in the last war.</p><p>Riyadh\u2019s
new path also signals its growing appetite for regional solutions away
from Washington \u2013 a position increasingly shared by other Persian Gulf
states.</p><p>For its part, the Islamic Republic is moving swiftly to convert military leverage into political capital. Beyond showcasing its <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/from-the-war-of-the-cities-to-true-promise-3-irans-ballistic-program-and-the-path-to-networked-deterrence">missile and drone capabilities</a>,
Iran is now actively courting Arab states of the Persian Gulf with
proposals for economic cooperation, regional integration, and the
construction of an indigenous security architecture.</p><p>Informed sources reveal to <i>The Cradle</i>
that Iran is pursuing comprehensive engagement with Saudi Arabia, the
UAE, Qatar, and Oman. This includes economic partnerships and alignment
on key regional files, from Yemen to Syria and Iraq.</p><p>Tehran\u2019s
position is consistent with its long-stated view: The Persian Gulf\u2019s
security must be decided by its littoral states and peoples \u2013 not by
foreign agendas.</p><p><strong>A new Gulf alliance is taking shape</strong></p><p>This
is no longer a Saudi story alone. The UAE is expanding economic
cooperation with Tehran, while maintaining open security channels. Qatar
sustains a solid diplomatic line with Iran, using its credibility to
broker key regional talks. Oman remains the region\u2019s trusted bridge and
discreet mediator.</p><p>An Arab diplomat briefed on recent developments tells <i>The Cradle</i>:</p><blockquote><p>\u201cUpcoming
Gulf\u2013Iran meetings will address navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,
energy coordination, and broader regional files. There is consensus
building that understanding with Iran open the door to a more stable
phase in the Gulf.\u201d</p></blockquote><p>Amid these realignments, Israel finds itself regionally sidelined \u2013 its project to forge an <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/4394">anti-Iran axis</a>
has crumbled. The US-brokered Abraham Accords \u2013 once trumpeted as a
strategic triumph \u2013 now elicit little more than polite disinterest
across the Gulf, with even existing Arab signatories walking back their
engagement.</p><p>Riyadh\u2019s political elite now openly question the
utility of normalization. As Tel Aviv continues its war on Gaza, Gulf
populations grow more vocal and Saudi leaders more cautious.</p><p>The
Saudi position is unspoken but unmistakable: Tel Aviv can no longer
guarantee security, nor can it be viewed as the gatekeeper to regional
stability any longer.</p><p><strong>Pragmatism trumps ideology</strong></p><p>This Saudi\u2013Iranian thaw is not ideological \u2013 it is hard-nosed realpolitik. As another senior Arab diplomat tells <i>The Cradle: </i></p><blockquote><p>\u201cRiyadh
is discarding illusions. Dialogue with neighbors \u2013 not alliance with
Washington and Tel Aviv \u2013 is now the route to safeguarding Saudi
interests. This is now about facts, not old loyalties. Iran is now a
fixed component of the Gulf\u2019s security equation.\u201d</p></blockquote><p>The
binary of \u201cGulf versus Iran\u201d is fading. The last war accelerated a
trend long in motion: the collapse of Pax Americana and the emergence of
<a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/israels-war-on-iran-is-the-frontline-of-a-us-war-on-multipolarity">multipolar regionalism</a>. The Gulf is charting a new course \u2013 one less beholden to US-Israeli diktats.</p><p>Today, Saudi Arabia sees Tehran not as a threat to be neutralized, but as a <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/for-arab-states-an-enduring-iran-is-far-better-than-a-victorious-israel">power to be engaged</a>.
Regional security frameworks are being built from within. Israel,
meanwhile, despite its many pontifications about a Tel Aviv-led,
Arab-aligned \u201cMiddle East,\u201d is struggling to stay relevant.</p><p>If
these dynamics hold, we are on the cusp of a historic transition \u2013 one
that may finally allow the Persian Gulf to define its own security and
sovereignty, on its own terms.</p><p>This is not an ideal future. But it
is a strategic upgrade from decades of subservience. Saudi Arabia is
turning toward Iran \u2013 not out of love, but out of logic.</p></span></div></div></div></div>
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