Events appear to be generally going in the direction predicted by the skeptics concerning the failure of the Epstein Alliance’s attempt to force regime change in Iran and the resulting collapse of the imperial security arrangement in the Gulf:
Saudi Arabia reportedly just floated a non-aggression pact with Iran. This comes in the wake of Saudi Arabia watching Tehran breach multiple layers of US air and naval defenses in the Strait of Hormuz in chillingly fast strikes during the first five weeks of the Ramadan war (i.e., the war that started on 28 February). According to the Financial Times, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia — that once relied on Washington’s “ironclad” (In reality a mirage) guarantees — is now quietly exploring a regional deal modeled on the old Helsinki Accords of economic cooperation, security guarantees, stability without the empire calling the shots.
If true, this marks the Saudis effectively rejecting the US as its prime protector and accepting a new security architecture that recognizes Iran as the new sheriff in a dangerous neighborhood. When your protector looks vulnerable and weakened, you start talking to the country that just proved it can deliver…
Iran is no longer operating from the weakened military position it occupied earlier this year. Iranian missile infrastructure has been substantially reconstituted. Naval capabilities have been dispersed and hardened. Command structures have stabilized under IRGC leadership. Current assessments indicate Tehran retains approximately 70% of its missile capability and has restored operational functionality to roughly 30 of its 33 strategic missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
China and Russia have also quietly reinforced Iran’s resilience without openly entering the conflict. Chinese assistance reportedly includes dual-use technologies, satellite support structures, drone and missile-related components, BeiDou integration, and indirect defense assistance routed through deniable channels. Russia appears to be providing intelligence support while benefiting strategically from the broader energy shock environment created by prolonged instability.
Ironically, this defeat and retreat from the Gulf is one of the best possible outcomes of the war for the American people, whether one or two more rounds are fought before further rounds become impossible.