The Russian invasion of Ukraine only amplified the complexity of relations between the Middle East and foreign powers.
Two dominant factors have marked the war sequence: the loss by Vladimir Putin among the Arabs of his image of "zaïm", a cold, invincible strategist, chaining successes and flying to the aid of his proteges, such as Bashar el-Assad in 2015;
and, in parallel, the even greater rapprochement between Iran and Russia, united by their status as “pariah” vis-à-vis the West and associating in the circumvention of sanctions.
This rapprochement is not, however, a subordination, as underlined by the recent signing in Beijing of a tripartite agreement with Saudi Arabia, Tehran's historical adversary.
Better than Russia, Iran is doing well in the strategic reorganization at work in the Middle East.
By getting bogged down in Ukraine, the Kremlin lost its aura in an Arab world hitherto delighted to find in it an alternative to perceived Americans...
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