???????????? Did you know that Riyadh and Tehran have shaken hands thanks to Chinese efforts?

As a complete surprise,?on Friday 10 March, an event that was hard to imagine?just a few months ago took place:?the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia publicly announced an agreement to restore their diplomatic relations?and to reopen their respective embassies after seven years of heightened tension.

The agreement was not reached in Riyadh, nor in Tehran, nor in Washington, nor in any European capital.?The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia was forged and announced in Beijing, while the National People's Congress was being held.?This represents a major coup for the Chinese regime, which has succeeded in getting two bitter enemies to shake hands – although let's be frank, it will hardly do any good.

The two countries are the two major powers in the Middle East and have been engaged in a wide-ranging confrontation on practically all fronts for years.?Iran, for example, has supplied weapons to the Houthi forces fighting against the Saudi army in Yemen.

The announcement comes at a?time when both Israel and the United States are raising the threat of a hypothetical attack on Iran?if it does not immediately halt its nuclear program.?The Israeli government insists that under no circumstances will it allow Iran to get its hands on a nuclear bomb.?To make matters worse, Iran is playing a dangerous game by exchanging weapons and technology with Vladimir Putin's Russia. Despite this, the government of Mohamed Bin Salman has decided to take this step which?many consider as a fresh provocation to Washington.

However, for the time being the agreement has been celebrated by both the United Nations and the United States, although it is hard to believe that Beijing's mediation has been celebrated in the White House.

Why is it important?

China has been able to act as an intermediary thanks to its position as the largest trading customer of both Iran and Saudi Arabia. In recent years,?the Chinese market has become the most important destination for Middle Eastern crude oil. It stands to reason that this gives Beijing a great deal of influence.?Moreover, the Chinese regime is in its element when it comes to dealing with autocracies and dictators of all kinds.

However,?it seems unlikely that the agreement will have any real effect. Riyadh will never accept a nuclear Iran?and, at present, it does not appear that the Iranian authorities are willing to give up this objective.

In addition,?intense three-way negotiations are underway between the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia?to normalize political relations between the latter two countries. An effective agreement with Iran could be an insurmountable barrier. The truth? It is highly likely that once the favor has been done for China, Riyadh will prefer to reach an understanding with Jerusalem rather than with Tehran.