WangYi,amemberofthePoliticalBureauoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)CentralCommitteeanddirectoroftheOfficeoftheForeignAffairsCommissionoftheCPCCentralCommittee,presidesovertheclosingmeetingofthetalksbetweenaSaudidelegationandanIraniandelegationinBeijing,capitalofChina,March10,2023.(Xinhua/LuoXiaoguang)

CAIRO,April10(Xinhua)--AsworldleaderswelcomedtheresumptionofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenSaudiArabiaandIran--twoarch-rivalsintheMiddleEast--someU.S.officialshaveexpressedtheirdispleasureinsteadofjoiningthecelebration.

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InanunannouncedvisittoSaudiArabiaearlierthismonth,WilliamBurns,directoroftheCentralIntelligenceAgency,airedWashington"s"frustration"atbeingleftoutofregionaldevelopmentsafterRiyadhmovedtorestoretieswithIranandSyria,accordingtoTheWallStreetJournal.

Burns"frustrationcameaboutamonthaftertheChina-brokeredSaudiArabia-Irantalks,duringwhichthetwosidesagreedtoresumediplomaticrelations.ThetwoMideastcountriessignedajointstatementinBeijingonThursdaytoreopenembassiesandconsulatesintheirrespectivecountries.

ThedealisexpectedtoeasetensionsbetweenthetwoinfluentialMuslimcountries,sothattheycouldworktogethertoreducearmedconflictsandrestorestabilityandpeacefortensofmillionsofpeopleintheregion.

Whenmostoftheworldwelcomethemove,itdoesn"tseemtobegoodnewsforWashington,whereanydiplomaticeffortofChinacouldbeinterpretedasevidenceofmalignintentandanattempttohurtU.S.interests.

SuchamindsethasresultedintheindiscriminateuseofU.S.powertocontainChinaandsabotageanyprojectthatChinatakespartin,includingpeacemakingandotherinitiativesfortheworld"scommongood.

InadditiontoitsownharshsanctionsimposedonChinesetechnologyfirms,WashingtonhasalsocoerceditsalliesandsomeothercountriestojointhesanctionsandrejectprojectsinwhichChinahadastake.

InthecaseoftheSaudi-Iraniandeal,theUnitedStateswasnotinagoodpositiontobrokersucharapprochementasithasnodiplomatictieswithIran.

U.S.politiciansrefusetofacetherealitythatthey--afterbeingakeyplayerintheMiddleEastfordecades--nowfindthemselvesabsentfromanagreementwhichcouldbringsignificantchangesintheregion.

Moreover,asmanyanalystshavepointedout,WashingtonmaynotbeveryinterestedinbuildingapeacefulMiddleEastsinceithaslongtakenadvantageoftheregion"sconflictsandmadeafortuneoutofit.

ByincitingconflictbetweenIran,againstwhichWashingtonhasalreadyimposedharshsanctions,andothercountriesintheregion,theUnitedStatescouldmakeitsMideastalliesmorereliantonitonsecuritymatters,andbenefitfromthissituationbysellingweaponstothem.

Overtheyears,U.S.politicianshavebeentryingtoshapethegeopoliticsoftheMiddleEastbyaligningwithallies,isolatinggovernmentstheydeemedtobehostile,wideningtheArab-IranianandIsraeli-Iraniandividethroughacomplexscheme,andentanglingtheregioninitsinfluence.

Yet,thesetacticsarefullofloopholes.RigoroussanctionsonimportantregionalplayerswillleavelittleroomforU.S.policymakerstomaneuverwhenadialogueisneeded,andexcessiveinterferenceinthecrucialdecisionsofitsalliestoadvanceitsowninterestsmaybackfire.

TheSaudi-IrandealcouldserveasareminderforWashingtontoreconsideritsconfrontationalforeignpolicyanditszero-sumgameapproachtointernationalaffairs.

U.S.politicianshasbeenobsessedwithdoingeverythingitcantohelpmaintainitshegemony,regardlessoftheconsequencesoftheirdecisionsandactions.

Fortoolong,theyhavetakenitforgrantedthatintimidations,sanctionsandothereconomicpenaltiesareashowofstrength.Butquitecontrarytowhattheyhadwishedfor,keepingdoingsowouldeventuallyalienateU.S.alliesanderodeU.S.powerinafast-changingworldwheremostpeopleyearnforpragmaticcooperationinsteadofconfrontations.