As Iran weakens, questions grow over Mohammed bin Salman’s regional ambitions

As Iran weakens, a powerfulness vacuum is emerging crossed the Middle East — and Saudi Arabia is moving to capable it by recalibrating relations with erstwhile rivals, hedging planetary partnerships and asserting a much autarkic overseas policy, according to respective experts.

Javed Ali, erstwhile elder authoritative astatine the National Security Council and prof astatine the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital that "Since Iran’s 1979 revolution, some Saudi Arabia and Iran person vied for power crossed the broader Muslim world. Mohammed bin Salman’s consolidation of powerfulness successful the kingdom has besides introduced a markedly antithetic imaginativeness from that of his predecessors."

Riyadh’s caller moves, from Yemen to Turkey, are fueling statement implicit whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expanding determination relation inactive aligns with U.S. interests. As portion of that recalibration, Bloomberg reported connected Jan. 9  that Turkey is seeking introduction into the Saudi–Pakistan communal defence pact signed 4 months earlier, according to radical acquainted with the talks.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the inaugural league of the Shura Council successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 10, 2025.  (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters)

Michael Rubin, a elder chap astatine the American Enterprise Institute, said Saudi Arabia’s existent trajectory indispensable beryllium viewed done years of accumulated vexation with U.S. policy.

"To beryllium just to MBS, erstwhile U.S. administrations did not uphold their extremity of the bargain either," Rubin told Fox News Digital, pointing to repeated Houthi attacks connected Saudi territory. "The Houthis launched hundreds of drones and rockets that the Obama medication ignored."

Rubin said tensions deepened arsenic Mohammed bin Salman pursued reforms agelong urged by U.S. policymakers, lone to look crisp disapproval from Washington. He cited the Biden administration’s determination to region the Houthis’ panic designation.

President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, successful Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

"By nary nonsubjective measurement should Secretary of State Antony Blinken person removed the panic designation from the Houthis," Rubin said, calling the determination "pure spite directed astatine MBS and Donald Trump."

Rubin said that determination marked a turning point. "MBS calculated that if the United States did not person his back, helium would request to clasp a Plan B," helium said, describing outreach to Russia and China arsenic tactical signaling alternatively than ideological realignment.

Saudi geopolitical researcher Salman Al-Ansari rejects claims that Riyadh is drifting ideologically oregon embracing Islamist movements, framing Saudi argumentation arsenic interest-driven.

U.S. President Donald Trump poses for a household representation with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and different attendees during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum successful Washington, D.C., U.S., Nov. 19, 2025.  (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

"Saudi Arabia does not basal its overseas argumentation connected ideological alignment, but connected pragmatic considerations aimed astatine stableness and development," Al-Ansari told Fox News Digital. He said outreach to Turkey reflects an effort to de-escalate rivalries. "The rapprochement with Turkey reflects this diplomatic approach, which seeks to alteration the Middle East from a portion of chronic struggle into 1 of greater stability."

Al-Ansari said the displacement has already delivered results. "This displacement has fixed Riyadh accrued flexibility successful engaging determination powers, a alteration Ankara rapidly recognized and that has translated into expanding economical cooperation."

He rejected claims of alignment with the Muslim Brotherhood. "Saudi Arabia designated the radical arsenic a violent enactment successful 2014, and this presumption remains unchanged," helium said.

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Crowds successful confederate Yemen are rallying for independence. Dec. 2025.  (Ahmed Shehab)

Those competing interpretations of Saudi intent are present colliding astir visibly successful Yemen, wherever the Saudi-Emirati confederation primitively formed to antagonistic Iran’s Houthi proxy. While some entered the warfare to rotation backmost Iranian influence, their strategies diverged. Riyadh backs a unified Yemeni authorities nether the internationally recognized government, arguing fragmentation strengthens Iran. The UAE has supported confederate separatists, including the Southern Transitional Council, prioritizing power implicit ports and information corridors.

In the past fewer days, Saudi and Yemeni authorities forces person mostly recaptured confederate and eastbound Yemen from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the STC’s person reportedly fled to the UAE amid the group’s reported dissolution, highlighting a crisp rift involving Emirati enactment for separatists

Rubin called Yemen the clearest informing sign. "This is champion seen successful Yemen, wherever helium has been supporting the Muslim Brotherhood faction militarily and attacking the much secular Southern Forces successful a mode that lone empowers al Qaeda successful the Arabian Peninsula and the Houthis," helium said.

Al-Ansari countered that "differences with the UAE stem from its backing of separatist equipped actors successful Yemen, which complicates the governmental process, fragments the anti-Houthi front, and yet benefits the Iranian-backed Houthi militia."

Rubin warned of semipermanent consequences. "By ‘blowback’ I mean the aforesaid Islamists MBS cultivates contiguous volition extremity up targeting Saudi Arabia successful the future," helium said.

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People clasp a banner with images of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a rally organised by Yemen's main separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), successful Aden, Yemen Dec. 21, 2025.  (Fawaz Salman/Reuters)

With Iran weakened and determination powerfulness shifting, Washington present faces a cardinal question: whether Saudi Arabia’s expanding relation volition reenforce U.S.-backed stability, oregon redefine the equilibrium of powerfulness successful ways that trial the limits of the long-standing partnership.