I am extremely skeptical about the detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for China to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize while attempting to support Putin's genocide?

Hezbollah and the Houthis have become powerful and quite frankly they and Israel are on a path of conflict. Iran supports both the Houthis and Hezbollah and it's drug cartel with Venezuela. But, China also has investments in Africa and the Middle East. Beijing is more than scared about the tensions in this region of the world and what a war might do to it's wealth.

Oh, by the way, I hope Treasury is looking into the level of investment by China, any Chinese oligarchs, Russia and Russian oligarchs and Silicon Valley Bank. It would be more than amusing if the FDIC on Monday is sending checks to Russia while it is on sanctions to end the war with Ukraine.

But, as the Iran and Saudi Arabia, the tensions started when Saudi Arabia assassinated a Shi'ite Imam, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr (click here). No surprise here, the Imam was a critic of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are Sunni Muslims. Iran is Shi'ite Muslims.

December 18, 2017

By Bruce Reidel

Al-Houthi (click here) was given a ceremonial funeral, nine years after he was killed

For over two-and-a-half years, (click here) the United States has supported Saudi Arabia in a war against the Houthi movement in Yemen. The war has created the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world and threatens to turn into the largest famine in decades.

Yet very few Americans know who the Houthis are, what they stand for, and why they are our de facto enemies. Two administrations have backed the war against the Houthis without a serious campaign to explain why Americans should see them as our enemies.

Yemeni politics are incredibly complex and volatile—rather than get drawn into a quagmire against an enemy they hardly know, the United States and its partners should get serious about finding a political solution....

...The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 deeply radicalized the Houthi movement, like it did many other Arabs. It was a pivotal moment. The Houthis adopted the slogan: “God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam,” in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The group also officially called itself Ansar Allah, or supporters of God. It was a turning point largely unrecognized outside Yemen, another unanticipated consequence of George Bush’s Iraq adventures.

Hezbollah, the Shiite movement in Lebanon which successfully expelled the Israeli army from the country, became a role model and mentor for the Houthis. Although different kinds of Shiites, the two groups have a natural attraction. Hezbollah provided inspiration and expertise for the Houthis. Iran was a secondary source of support, especially since the Houthis and Iranians share a common enemy in Saudi Arabia....

Saudi Arabia has the greatest incentive to negotiate a peace with Iran. I just don't see Iran laying down arms shipments to the Houthis. The USA has been successful in confiscating the missile shipments. The meetings haven't really begun. I guess it is a wait and see sort of thing.