Time for American-Saudi-Israeli Strategic Dialogue

Washington is fully coordinated with Jerusalem in its preparations of military options against Tehran. However, peculiar enough Riyadh has been kept outside the loop. This is very concerning considering that coordinating with the KSA is vital in preparation for air strikes against the Iranian nuclear weapons program, imposing a no-fly zone over Iran and preparing for the possibility of a US-led invasion of Iran. What is needed is a new strategic framework for preparing the military options against Iran, namely an American-Saudi-Israeli strategic forum of trilateral coordination. While American-Saudi relations have unfortunately been deep-frozen under the Biden administration and have only recently started to melt, it is now essential and urgent to advance trilateral strategic and military coordination between Washington, Riyadh and Jerusalem. Irrespective of the dispute within the Biden administration as to Tehran’s nuclear intentions, Washington must resolutely move ahead with its strategic preparations so as to be fully ready for implementation of its Plan B in complete and utter coordination with Riyadh and Jerusalem. It is vital that America stands strategically prepared with its allies and creating a trilateral forum for strategic dialogue would advance regional defense integration in the Middle East and reinforce US regional influence. There is absolutely no valid reason why the Saudis should be kept outside the loop, rather creating a trilateral forum would be an important way to upgrade the American-Saudi-Israeli triangular relationship. The Biden administration has long mismanaged its relations with Riyadh to the detriment of American interests and has only in recent months reassessed much of those policies. Keeping the Saudis out of the loop appears to be a remnant of those very counterproductive policies. This must change as America needs to already now make preparations for a US-led international coalition against Iran. Needless to say, the KSA will be one of the most important members of such an international coalition and so keeping Riyadh in the dark even at this stage simply does not make sense.