Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is quietly recalibrating his regional posture. Rather than moving closer to the Abraham Accords framework, he is loosening Saudi Arabia’s alignment with Israel and the United States while edging toward Turkey and Qatar. This is not a tactical adjustment; it is a strategic bet – one built on the assumption that Iran’s regime will endure and that the regional order will not shift abruptly. If that assumption holds, MBS gains flexibility. If it fails, Saudi Arabia risks finding itself aligned with the future destabilizers of the Middle East.
For years, Riyadh benefited from the Abraham Accords without formally joining them. Israel, the United States, and the UAE created a powerful security and intelligence axis that constrained Iran and reshaped regional deterrence. Saudi Arabia remained adjacent – cooperating quietly, extracting security dividends, and preserving political room to maneuver. It was a position of influence without exposure.
The Israel-US-UAE relationship is no longer a loose arrangement of convenience. It is hardening into a durable strategic bloc, with expanding cooperation in air defense, intelligence sharing, military technology, and economic integration. Abu Dhabi has entrenched itself as Washington’s most reliable Arab partner, while Israel has become the operational backbone of regional security planning. Crucially, this consolidation is taking place without Saudi Arabia at its center. (Ed note: Is Ishmael beginning to show his true colors? This thing ain't over.) (Read More)
