Pak Sahafat – As it appears from the comments of Saudi and American officials as well as the analysis of these statements, Riyadh-Washington relations, which have been a strategic alliance and alliance for a long time, are in their worst condition these days.
According to Pak Sahafat News Agency, in such a way that this issue has been clearly revealed in Washington’s rejection of Riyadh’s requests to increase oil production in OPEC with the aim of controlling prices, as well as Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its international partners, which has greatly angered the United States. The non-increase in Saudi oil sales will increase the price of energy carriers and, as a result, more inflation in the United States.
In this regard, in a conversation with Dr. Wissam Al-Rimaal Al-Shammari, an opponent of Al Saud and a founding member of the Saudi Federal Assembly, Quds has analyzed the recent developments in Riyadh-Washington relations and the impact of the OPEC oil reduction on the economy and domestic politics of the United States, which you will read below.
Cross-sectional stress or the end of the line?
Dr. Wissam Al-Rimal al-Shammari says about Riyadh-Washington relations: Recently, the questions about the relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have increased; In such a way that many predictions and evaluations are made. Some believe that this tension is nothing more than a temporary phase that will end over time, because the relationship between these two countries is a strategic relationship. But some analysts emphasize that these relations are in their final stages. From my point of view, as an opponent of the Saudi regime, today we are seeing something that was predictable and nothing new has happened in this regard.
As this Saudi analyst tells Quds, the emergence of tension in Washington-Riyadh relations is not a new issue; In such a way that when Joe Biden took office in America as the president of this country, his refusal to communicate with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began. Earlier during his election campaign, Biden had promised to interact with Saudi Arabia as an outcast country due to Saudi Arabia’s killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist critical of Al Saud. But this tension has increased after the war in Ukraine and its consequences against the energy market in European countries due to the sanctions they imposed against Russia, and Riyadh is not ready to give in to the demands of the American government despite the agreements they have had in the past.
Israel’s footsteps and cutting China’s foot from the Persian Gulf
In recent days, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied the accusations of the United States of siding with Russia in the Ukraine war by reducing oil production and increasing its price, emphasizing that this decision was only an economic decision to regulate the market.
Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN after OPEC+’s move to cut oil production that could lead to higher inflation in the United States in the weeks before the midterm elections: “The time has come for Washington to review its relations with Riyadh”.
In connection with the concept of revision in Riyadh-Washington relations, Al-Shammari emphasizes: To answer the questions about these relations, we must accept that the level of these relations will be determined by the two sides, namely America and Saudi Arabia, which recently wants to say that it acts independently and does not accept dictates from anyone. We should also note that both sides consider that the world has changed and new powers such as China and Russia have emerged on the international stage.
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Tension in Saudi-American relations after the OPEC+ decision
To get closer to the reality of US-Saudi relations, we must ask the question, what does America want from the Middle East? The answer is simple; First, the US wants Israel’s security to be secured, and secondly, to prevent China from entering the Persian Gulf countries. America no longer needs Saudi oil, so the protection agreement against oil is no longer illogical.
The main node of Washington-Riyadh relations
Although the United States no longer needs Saudi oil, its supply affects the value of the US dollar. One of the measures taken by the US to counter OPEC+’s decision to cut 2 million barrels of oil per day was the withdrawal of its strategic oil reserves. As Joe Biden, the president of this country, announced in a press conference a few days ago: In December, we will empty 15 million barrels of oil from our strategic reserves. We must increase our oil production without delay and continue to work to achieve stability in the energy market.
While Biden claimed in these statements: “The use of oil from strategic reserves is not based on political motives”, but “Abd al-Aziz bin Salman”, the Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia, criticized Washington’s decision and described this action as “manipulation in the market”.
The opponents of Al Saud explained in response to the question that what is the main knot in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States: Today, like many countries in the world, Saudi Arabia is surprised by the fact that China has become a prohibited area for the United States. It is clear that today China has replaced America in buying Saudi oil. America has not expressed any objection regarding this issue, so where is the problem? Improper political planning has put Riyadh in a big predicament.
Saudi Arabia had to find an alternative either for China or for oil. Riyadh’s failure to realize this issue has brought it into a crisis in relations with America that will not end happily. Proximity to Israel, the Neom city project, welcoming false dance celebrations and efforts to show the so-called distance from Wahhabism are all fragile solutions that will not be considered a strategy and will not save Saudi Arabia from the problems of international conflicts now and in the future.
The effect of the Biden-Bin Salman fight on the results of the congress mid-term elections
Joe Biden’s administration is well aware that the continuation of high prices as a result of the energy crisis and high oil prices will bring many problems to it, the most important of which is the possibility of the Democratic Party losing in the mid-term congressional elections in November, and perhaps the chance of winning of Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, or someone similar to him, will increase in the next presidential election.
But Wissam al-Shammari, referring to the complexity of the current international conflicts and Saudi Arabia’s predicament, says: Saudi Arabia’s failure to create a new reality by finding an alternative to China or oil has put it in a position to accept the “existing reality” theory. This means that Saudi Arabia’s interest and tendency towards America has no meaning anymore and all that remains of the relationship between these two countries is the relationship between the value of the US dollar and Saudi oil.
Saudi Arabia’s maneuvers to get closer to the East, that is, Russia and China, with the aim of trying to put pressure on the Democratic Party or its defeat in the mid-term elections, will not get this country out of the straits of international conflicts. On the other hand, the lack of binding guarantees regarding the decisions of OPEC+ also worries Russia, and on the contrary, if Saudi Arabia gives guarantees in this regard, it means that it is placed in the bastion of the East, and this will worry America even more, because the value of its dollar It is related to Saudi decisions in OPEC+.