Saudi Arabia shocked the world in March 2023 when the Gulf nation announced the restoration of diplomatic relations with regional foe Iran. Shortly thereafter, Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations with Syria, ending a decade-long rift that began at the advent of the Syrian conflict. What did both of these rapprochements have in common? They were both brokered by countries not named the United States. Saudi Arabia's resumption of diplomatic relations with both Syria and Iran, two countries heavily sanctioned by the West, was a major blow to the Biden administration, who was attempting to convince Saudi Arabia to turn away from Russia. To breakdown this new Middle East, the host of The M.O. Manila Chan is joined by journalist and political analyst Kevork Almassian.