Growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE reflect shifting Gulf alliances, with implications for Israel and the US role in the region.

Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to avert a wider conflict in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and Israel are prioritizing their own interests as regional tensions between the US and Iran continue to rise.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have also staked out opposing positions on Syria, where Riyadh supports President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while Israel has been much more hesitant to embrace the new Syrian leader and has acted militarily to protect the Druze Syrian minority near its border.

The premier said Jerusalem is tracking Saudi shifts, calling on Riyadh and other states seeking normalization not to align with forces opposed to peace and the Jewish state’s legitimacy.

Saudi Arabia expands its diplomatic options with Russia, Iran, China, and Turkey as Washington weighs confrontation with Tehran. The balance of power in the Middle East continues to shift, and the prospect of a US-Iran war could further destabilize a region already being pulled into a new order.

Senator Graham says that while he disagrees with things the Saudi government says, he remains impressed with its desire for economic prosperity after meeting government officials.

The Times of Israel reported that Air France and KLM have suspended flights to Israel, Dubai and Saudi Arabia until at least Sunday due to 'security tensions in the region.' Lufthansa had already halted night-time flights to Israel until the end of January.