Photo released by Saudi authorities showing U.S. President Joe Biden and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman exchanging a fist ‘cheque’ in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022 (Saudi Royal Palace / Bandar AL-JALOUD)
He initially wanted to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah,” then attempted a rapprochement in July… Joe Biden, scalded by Riyadh’s oil decisions, clearly raised his voice against the kingdom on Tuesday.
“There will be consequences for what they did to Russia,” the US president threatened in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, without specifying what kind they would be.
He was referring to the recent decision by OPEC+, a Riyadh-led oil cartel, to cut production quotas, which could send prices skyrocketing – and feed the coffers of Russia, which relies on its hydrocarbon sales to fuel the war finance Ukraine.
“In light of recent OPEC+ events and decisions, the President believes we should reassess bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby previously told the press.
Joe Biden “is willing to work with Congress to think about what that relationship should look like,” the adviser said.
– snub –
OPEC+ – the thirteen members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia and their ten partners led by Russia – delivered a diplomatic snub to Joe Biden, who on the contrary demanded ample supplies.
The US President traveled to Saudi Arabia in July to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after vowing during his campaign to make the kingdom a “pariah” following the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faiçal ben Farhane, speaking on the Al-Arabiya channel on Tuesday, explained that the drop in production represents a “purely economic approach pursued unanimously by member countries” of the organization, which aims to “maintain a sustainable oil market”.
“OPEC+ members acted responsibly and made the right decision,” he said.
The oil cartel’s decision sparked a wave of outrage among members of the US Congress, and particularly among MPs from Joe Biden’s Democratic Party.
The powerful head of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Bob Menendez, threatened on Monday to block future arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and House Representative Ro Khanna took him at his word as they introduced a bill Tuesday to end such exports.
– gun sales –
The partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia was sealed after the end of World War II and militarily protected the kingdom from American access to oil.
That troubled relationship had been revived by former Republican President Donald Trump, leading to pharaonic arms sales.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia accounted for 24% of total US arms exports between 2016 and 2020.
The relationship is “strategic” and has “advanced security and stability in the Middle East,” the Saudi embassy in Washington said in a statement on Tuesday. Bilateral military cooperation “serves the interests of both countries,” she added.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen since 2015 to fight Houthi rebels, backed by its regional enemy, Iran. She was fired upon by Houthi missiles.
Joe Biden, aware of the anger of the human rights activists, justified his trip to Saudi Arabia with concerns about energy security, but also about regional security.
But the image of a familiar fist-to-fist salute exchanged with Mohammed bin Salman has not turned against Joe Biden just yet. Since the OPEC+ decision, the American press has been full of murderous editorials about the failure of their “fist bump+” diplomacy.