Saudi Arabia and Iran are regional rivals, supporting opposing sides in the Yemen War, for example. Third, the US may decide the time has come to attack Iran. Fourth, the Israel-Hamas war presents two windows that may prolong or help initiate conflicts. In sum, with the Israel/Hamas War, the world’s security environment has gotten starkly worse. Unfortunately, Hamas, Iran, Russia, and China may all think this redounds to their benefit and will yield further gains in the future.

Source: New York Times October 25, 2023 14:55 UTC