On Monday, Oct. 26, three of the most powerful security officials in the Muslim world sat down in Tehran.
Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's defense minister and the crown prince's brother. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief. Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkish intelligence.
Across the table sat Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. President Masoud Pezeshkian joined them. So did Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Eight days later, Americans went to the polls.
By early Wednesday, the Associated Press had called both chambers for Democrats. The Senate went first, late Tuesday night. The House followed in the early hours of Wednesday.
Most of the commentary this week will treat that result as the start of something. A new check on the White House. A new fight over the Iran war.
I think the more important story started earlier. The Gulf had already begun hedging against a smaller American role before a single ballot was counted.
The midterms didn't create that bet. They made it look smarter.
A Strange Place for a Saudi Prince