The Iran war distances the Maldives from Washington, and closer to the Muslim world
Seven weeks of war have reshaped the country's diplomatic grammar.
Seven weeks into the Iran war, the Maldives' diplomatic grammar has shifted visibly: a cancelled meeting with the US ambassador, a reiterated red line on Israeli contacts, and a new pattern of consultations with Riyadh, Tehran, Doha and Jakarta.
Officials at the foreign ministry are reluctant to describe the shift as a turn against Washington; a senior diplomat speaking on background called it, instead, 'a turn toward the neighbourhood we actually live in.'
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