Jonathan Fulton is a non-resident senior fellow for Atlantic Council's Middle East programs. He says it seems like this was a regional approach to a regional problem. The US couldn't broker this deal because they don't have the relationship with Iran that you would need, he says. But then you see the Saudis have reached out to Russia to help facilitate this reproshmo with Syria and also just to show that the region is changing - not just a US lake anymore.
Iran and Saudi Arabia surprised many governments in March when they announced an agreement to restore diplomatic relations–ending a seven-year freeze.
Just as surprising: The deal was brokered by China.
Bloomberg correspondents Golnar Motevalli and Sam Dagher join this episode to explain how this landmark agreement came together and what each side hopes to gain from it.
And Jonathan Fulton, a nonresident senior fellow for Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, talks about China’s critical role in this deal and the nation’s growing ambitions as a global power broker.
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