If the [U.S.-Saudi] nuclear deal hits a deadlock, Riyadh may pivot to alternative suppliers — a shift that would significantly erode American strategic leverage in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump has consistently demonstrated a preference for maintaining control over escalation rather than allowing events to dictate American strategy.
The Beijing summit did not produce a major agreement between the great powers on the region, but it firmly established that Middle Eastern crises are now deeply tied to the great-power dialogue.