The_AT0 White_AJ0 House_NN1 's_POS messages_NN2 to_PRP Iran_NP0 and_CJC to_PRP the_AT0 Saudis_NN2 at_PRP this_DT0 point_NN1 seem_VVB eerily_AV0 similar_AJ0 ._SENT The_AT0 administration_NN1 is_VBZ signaling_AJ0 that_CJT it_PNP is_VBZ willing_AJ0 to_TO0 engage_VVI but_CJC unwilling_AJ0 to_TO0 let_VVI either_AV0 dictate_VVB the_AT0 terms_NN2 of_PRF engagement_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 hard_AJ0 truth_NN1 is_VBZ that_CJT Middle_AJ0 Eastern_AJ0 countries_NN2 do_VDB n't_XX0 have_VHI as_AV0 much_DT0 ability_NN1 to_TO0 influence_VVI U.S._NP0 behavior_NN1 as_CJS they_PNP used_VVD to_TO0 ._SENT The_AT0 region_NN1 is_VBZ by_PRP no_AT0 means_NN0 irrelevant_AJ0 to_PRP world_NN1 politics_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC thanks_NN2 to_PRP fracking_AJ0 ,_PUN improved_AJ0 energy_NN1 efficiency_NN1 and_CJC new_AJ0 production_NN1 (_PUL renewable_AJ0 and_CJC otherwise_AV0 )_PUR around_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ,_PUN Middle_AJ0 Eastern_AJ0 energy_NN1 power_NN1 is_VBZ n't_XX0 what_DTQ it_PNP was_VBD ._SENT Even_AV0 as_CJS oil_NN1 prices_NN2 fluctuate_VVB ,_PUN they_PNP are_VBB likely_AJ0 to_TO0 do_VDI so_AV0 in_PRP a_AT0 lower_AJC band_NN1 than_CJS they_PNP would_VM0 have_VHI absent_AJ0 new_AJ0 production_NN1 ._SENT This_DT0 means_VVZ the_AT0 relative_AJ0 economic_AJ0 importance_NN1 of_PRF Middle_AJ0 Eastern_AJ0 countries_NN2 will_VM0 decline_VVI over_PRP time_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 Saudis_NN2 and_CJC Iranians_NN2 have_VHB responded_VVN to_PRP these_DT0 changes_NN2 in_PRP different_AJ0 ways_NN2 ._SENT For_PRP all_DT0 its_DPS faults_NN2 and_CJC sometimes_AV0 brutal_AJ0 behavior_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 new_AJ0 Saudi_AJ0 power_NN1 configuration_NN1 has_VHZ steered_VVN the_AT0 country_NN1 toward_PRP a_AT0 recalibration_NN1 that_CJT Washington_NP0 can_VM0 live_VVI with_PRP ._SENT As_CJS the_AT0 kingdom_NN1 warms_VVZ toward_PRP Israel_NP0 ,_PUN reforms_VVZ its_DPS textbooks_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC gradually_AV0 lifts_VVZ selected_AJ0 restrictions_NN2 on_PRP women_NN2 ,_PUN the_AT0 radical_AJ0 Wahhabism_NN1 that_CJT long_AV0 held_VVD the_AT0 country_NN1 together_AV0 is_VBZ no_AV0 longer_AJC as_CJS influential_AJ0 as_CJS it_PNP once_AV0 was_VBD ._SENT There_EX0 is_VBZ no_AT0 intention_NN1 to_TO0 make_VVI Saudi_NP0 Arabia_NP0 either_AV0 a_AT0 democracy_NN1 or_CJC a_AT0 Western-style_AJ0 secular_AJ0 society_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC the_AT0 authorities_NN2 are_VBB tightly_AV0 policing_VVG the_AT0 boundaries_NN2 of_PRF permitted_AJ0 dissent_NN1 even_AV0 as_CJS those_DT0 boundaries_NN2 shift_VVB ,_PUN but_CJC the_AT0 new_AJ0 direction_NN1 is_VBZ significantly_AV0 better_AJC than_CJS the_AT0 old_AJ0 ._SENT Tehran_NP0 is_VBZ on_PRP another_DT0 path_NN1 ._SENT Seizing_VVG the_AT0 opportunities_NN2 that_DT0 chaos_NN1 offers_VVZ in_PRP Iraq_NP0 ,_PUN Syria_NP0 ,_PUN Lebanon_NP0 and_CJC Yemen_NP0 ,_PUN Iran_NP0 has_VHZ moved_VVN effectively_AV0 to_TO0 expand_VVI its_DPS regional_AJ0 profile_NN1 even_AV0 as_CJS it_PNP accelerates_VVZ its_DPS nuclear_AJ0 program_NN1 ._SENT American_AJ0 Iran_NP0 doves_NN2 hope_VVB this_DT0 was_VBD largely_AV0 a_AT0 defensive_AJ0 response_NN1 to_PRP Mr._NP0 Trump_NP0 's_POS maximum-pressure_NN1 approach_NN1 and_CJC that_CJT Tehran_NP0 will_VM0 become_VVI more_AV0 tractable_AJ0 as_CJS Washington_NP0 's_POS hostility_NN1 diminishes_VVZ ;_PUN we_PNP shall_VM0 see_VVI ._SENT The_AT0 multiethnic_AJ0 character_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 country_NN1 and_CJC the_AT0 intimate_AJ0 linkages_NN2 between_PRP the_AT0 religious_AJ0 hierarchy_NN1 and_CJC the_AT0 state_NN1 make_VVI it_PNP hard_AJ0 for_PRP Iran_NP0 to_TO0 de-emphasize_VVI radical_AJ0 religion_NN1 and_CJC hard-line_AJ0 resistance_NN1 to_PRP the_AT0 West_NN1 as_PRP the_AT0 regime_NN1 's_POS basis_NN1 for_PRP legitimacy_NN1 —_PUN and_CJC the_AT0 military_AJ0 success_NN1 of_PRF Iranian_AJ0 proxies_NN2 around_PRP the_AT0 region_NN1 makes_VVZ it_PNP hard_AJ0 to_TO0 abandon_VVI a_AT0 policy_NN1 that_CJT seems_VVZ to_TO0 bring_VVI gains_NN2 ._SENT Hard-liners_NN2 are_VBB likely_AJ0 to_TO0 point_VVI to_PRP any_DT0 new_AJ0 U.S._NP0 concessions_NN2 as_PRP a_AT0 sign_NN1 that_CJT their_DPS policies_NN2 are_VBB working_VVG ._SENT In_PRP these_DT0 early_AJ0 months_NN2 ,_PUN the_AT0 Biden_NP0 administration_NN1 seems_VVZ to_TO0 be_VBI trying_VVG to_TO0 chart_VVI a_AT0 course_NN1 between_PRP those_DT0 chosen_VVN by_PRP its_DPS two_CRD predecessors_NN2 ._SENT 
