Ottoman-era railway offers a glimpse at a post-war Middle East architecture

A Turkish-Saudi agreement to revive the Ottoman-era Hijaz Railway tells the story of geopolitical realignment in the wake of the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, including the future of Iran’s relations with the Gulf monarchies. The agreement is the tale of efforts to reduce regional dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, diverging Gulf attitudes towards cooperation with Israel, dashed US hopes of including Israel in a rail and shipping network that would connect the Gulf and India to Europe, diminished prospects for Saudi-Israeli diplomatic relations, Turkey’s evolving regional ambitions, and post-Bashar al-Assad Syria’s reintegration into regional dynamics. The agreement is also indicative of a broader shift in the wake of the Iran war towards alternative export routes and hardened critical infrastructure that will impact the Gulf’s geopolitics.