All eyes are on Saudi Arabia yet again, largely due to its effectively purchasing the sport of golf. The Saudis have made themselves a regular in the pages of National Review recently, too. They have survived Biden’s fury. They invited a South American dictator out for a visit. Most ominously, they announced in conjunction with Iran and China that they would be forming a joint navy in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia has, in the words of Jim Geraghty, rarely had it so good.

The nation’s good fortunes increased even more Tuesday, when it was announced that Iran would be reopening its embassy in Riyadh after seven years of diplomatic freeze. Iran’s foreign minister hailed the opening as the beginning of a “new era” of cooperation, shepherded in by a deal between the two countries negotiated by China in March. It is early yet, but the beginnings of a Saudi–Iranian axis aligned with China can be seen taking shape. Its implications for American allies in the region, notably Israel, are unlikely to be good. 

Saudi Arabia continues to drive the greens of their new geopolitical course. The Biden administration can’t seem to get out of the bunker.