Iran and Saudi Arabia’s move to normalize relations following Chinese mediation is of great interest to Turkey. When Ankara and Riyadh were previously both at loggerheads with Tehran, there was a show of unity; a kind of 'Sunni Axis'. But when Riyadh-Ankara relations turned sour, there was no such solidarity between Iran and Turkey, which compete on many regional files.

Friendship and rivalry with Iran are like two oxen yoked together, pushing each other left and right but balancing for both. If, in line with Saudi demands, Iran ends its war for influence in the region—which is not a realistic expectation—then Turkey will be one of the main beneficiaries.

Against this backdrop, the Turkish Foreign Ministry promptly issued a statement congratulating Iran and Saudi Arabia on the Mar. 10 agreement reached in Bejing to reopen embassies within two months. It noted that...