Pushing the Saudi reset button
The kingdom is getting nervy about a potential revival of the Iranian nuclear deal. But greater predictability in the White House could benefit the region in the long term
resident-elect Joe Biden takes office on 20 January with one of the most daunting in-trays of any incoming president since Barack Obama entered the White House in the wake of the global financial crisis 12 years ago. Among others, the US faces the challenge of again rebuilding regional credibility in the Middle East, an ongoing saga since the Iraq war and the fateful occupation that followed. And from the perspective of the leadership of regional behemoth Saudi Arabia, there are multiple potential flashpoints that could define the next phase of its bilateral relationship with the US—a period that could prove momentous if King Salman passes away and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) asc

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