Obama's theater of the absurd

The Saudis don't like the nuclear deal with Iran. They also don't like the rapprochement between Washington and Tehran. They can tell us until the cows come home that the Saudi king is satisfied with the deal. Of course, he's more satisfied with the guarantees he received from U.S. President Barack Obama during their meeting in Washington over the weekend.

Ever since the summit between Obama and Gulf State leaders at Camp David last May, little has changed on the Iranian front. Quite the opposite, the situation has only gotten worse. On July 14, the superpowers and Iran signed the Vienna deal; the Saudi king, at the time, boycotted the Camp David meeting. His reasons for avoiding that summit still apply today.

However ... the Middle East is disintegrating, and the Saudi monarchy needs stability. It also needs friends. It cannot allow itself to fight with everyone. In the past the Saudis had no reservations about funding terrorism and exporting Wahabism, while simultaneously taking part in the coalition against terrorism. Saudi Arabia was never exactly a role model in any regard.

The kingdom desperately needs stability, the type which has long since abandoned the region. It looks on at the burgeoning coalitions -- and is growing anxious. Saudi Arabia has understood that it lost the Iranian nuclear campaign. Now it is looking for an insurance policy. The advanced weaponry at a cost of $1 billion which it will receive from the U.S. (according to reports) is a fine security blanket. What the Saudis really received from the Americans, we can assume, are guarantees against Iranian hegemony in Beirut, Damascus, Sanaa and Baghdad. Because this is the incredible story of our time -- ever since Obama entered the White House, Iran has scored nothing but resounding victories on every possible front. Saudi Arabia has realized this and is now seeking to mitigate damages.

Saudi Arabia, as we know, is also involved in the civil war in Syria. It has opposed Syrian President Bashar Assad from the outset. Russia is no longer concealing its involvement in Syria, alongside Iran, to preserve the Assad regime. In contrast to the Egyptians, the Saudis cannot gamble on the Russian card. To avoid remaining alone, it is joining the coalition with the U.S. and Turkey. On the other side is the new coalition with Russia and Egypt.

It's possible to assume, of course, that the Americans promised Assad's head to the Saudis; but we should also assume they assured the Iranians that the Syrian president's head would remain intact. It is a theater of the absurd, which Obama has arranged for us in the Middle East.

Everyone against everyone -- and Iran is the only one laughing.