In a recent discussion with Glenn Diesen, Ambassador Chas Freeman, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, discussed the sweeping collapse of American hegemonic security architecture in the Middle East and the shifting political landscape.

The conversation opens in the Middle East, focusing on the heavy escalation in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia launched over 300 air raids, and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) have counterattacked critical Saudi energy nodes like Abqaiq, as well as military facilities. Freeman notes that the original foundational bargain established in 1945 between King Abdulaziz and FDR—where the U.S. guaranteed Saudi security in exchange for privileged hydrocarbon access—has effectively dissolved. With the U.S. refusing to militarily back Saudi Arabia in these conflicts, the Saudis face severe economic distress, paused modernization projects, and a compromised energy export infrastructure.

Consequently, regional states are actively seeking alternative indigenous security frameworks, exemplified by a tripartite entente between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, which bypasses traditional Western patronage. Furthermore, diplomatic talks in Salalah, Oman, between Iranian officials and Gulf Cooperation Council members indicate a push toward regional reconciliation and Iranian mediation, effectively pulling the rug out from under U.S.-led blockades and signaling the erosion of American primacy in West Asia.