Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warned the US would suffer economic consequences if President Biden retaliated for OPEC oil cuts that were announced last fall, The Washington Post reported.
The Post report cited a document allegedly leaked to Discord by Airman Jack Teixeira, although it did not publish the document. The report said MbS claimed “he will not deal with the US administration anymore” if Biden imposed “consequences” on Riyadh over the OPEC cuts like he said he would.
The report said MbS promised “major economic consequences for Washington” if Biden retaliated, but it’s unclear if the Saudis made the threat directly to the US or if MbS’ warning was intercepted by the US spying on him.
It’s also unclear what economic consequences MbS had in mind. Saudi Arabia could stop trading its oil using the US dollar, which would seriously threaten the currency’s global dominance.
President Biden never went through with his vow to impose consequences on the Saudis, and his administration has been working lately to improve the relationship after Riyadh agreed to a surprise China-brokered normalization deal with Tehran. The Saudis also reestablished diplomatic relations with Damascus and spearheaded an effort to bring Syria back into the Arab League.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia last week, and Saudi officials made clear that they didn’t want the administration to pressure them to pick a side between the US and China.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said at a joint press conference with Blinken that Riyadh’s ties with China would continue to grow but said the US-Saudi security relationship was still very “robust.”
“I don’t ascribe to this zero-sum game,” bin Farhan said. “I think we are all capable of having multiple partnerships and multiple engagements.”
The US and Saudi Arabia so deserve each other.
They certainly do.
There are two major bullies in the world,.The US and the Saudies. One relies on the military and the other on Oil wealth. A pox on both.
There are more than two. Russia, China, Israel, Turkey……
How about most Governments in the world?
That’s what the ….. after Turkey meant.
Perceptions are wonderful thing. Prior to June 2017 Saudis could do no wrong. Our heavy favorite MBN became Crown Prince in 2015, and everyone as hapy as can be. While still Minister of the Interior back in 2012, he founded Syria commitee and a cornucopia of extreme islamist groups were funded to topple Assad. But that was not ambitious enough. Islamic Caliphate was organized, equipped and funded to carve out Sunnistan, carving out pieces of Iraq and Syria, and creating a Wahhabi inspired toll booth between Anatolia-Levant and Gulf states.
As Russia entry into Syria spoiled the plan, and Trump victory meant that Trump was not going to let Russia be the winner over ISIS — he was to tackle ISIS for real. Unlike Obama playacting fight by “taking out” leaders.
Saudis were stunned. All the support they gave to US to reshape Middle East, all the billions spent, down the drain. MBN also started Yemen war, and blockade of Qatar for its closeness to Iran.
Saudi clans in Allegiance Council removed MBN and appointed MBS in June 2017.
Ever since US tried to topple him, but his popularity is grat, and begrudgingly he is accepted as a nuisance that dismantled ISIS, trying to end Yemen wat, repaired ratiins with Qatar, got Russia into OPEC, restored relations with Iran. and brought Syria back into Arab League.
Yes, we have some serious problems with Saufi Arabia.
very good except for this part = “Trump was not going to let Russia be the winner over ISIS — he was to tackle ISIS for real”
Trump is an autocrat (places self before all others) and does not even get out of bed unless there is a personal profit to be made. he would never “tackle ISIS” nor any other actual entity – rather, he spreads his ire all around so that his sycophants will send him campaign donations and purchase his red MAGA hats.
The international community should now take up another cause and demand the release from prison of former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is being held not because of any crime he committed but because he presents a problem for the current crown prince
Mohammed bin Salman. Mohammed bin Nayef saved the lives of dozens if not hundreds of Americans and defeated al-Qaida in its birthplace. For Washington to press the Saudi leadership on his case would be a perhaps unusual move, but it should be …
Mohammed bin Nayef, known as MBN, is the son of the kingdom’s longest serving minister of the interior, Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz. He was educated in Oregon before training with the FBI and Scotland Yard. He gradually assumed his father’s position. Unlike his father, who was very skeptical of — if not hostile towards — Americans, MBN is the most pro-American prince in the family and by far the most competent, especially in counterterrorism.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/02/12/the-case-of-saudi-arabias-mohammed-bin-nayef/ by Bruce Riedel
2021
Now what are you trying to do, make Joe double up on his ‘Depends’?
I’m not getting a lot of traction with this. But I think it is incredibly significant that the US has been able to raise oil production to a point where we have nearly eliminated the need to rely on imported oil. (There were a few months near the end of COVID where we produced more than we used.)
I’m sure that Saudi Arabia has seen the writing on the wall. If they can’t sell their oil here, they’ll sell it somewhere else. Their biggest customer will be China. I would not be surprised if the Saudi’s join BRICS in August. If Biden pushes them too hard and they have a ready market outside the US, I would not be surprised if they decide to sell their oil 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 in Yuan.
Saudis warned the US would suffer economic consequences if Biden retaliated for OPEC oil cuts that were announced last fall
wow i am sick and tired of the phony oil wars game.
Biden is pretending that US needs to import more oil from Saudis.
Trump pretends that US needs to drill and pump more oil from US soil.
neither men are foolish but both are liars.
ExxonMobil & Chevron pump the lion’s share of oil from the US ground.
more of that oil is exported from US every day than there is oil being imported.
notice that the pentagon’s mighty fleet of boats, tanks, trucks & planes never seem to run out of fuel, yet american people are increasingly having to choose between paying for food/rent or gas for their cars. WTF the Iranian people are still only paying $0.25 us per gallon for their petrol.
hey uncle sam you bastard, you could really stick it to the Saudis AND bring some peace to the mideast by simply buying oil from the Iranians instead.
idiots.
edit = it would be hilarious to see the US go and wave a gay-pride flag in the Saudis face and see what happens.
Another words, MBS told Blinken to F-Off because he is tired of being bullied by US…!
Saudi’s announced cuts in production do not appear to be working in regards to prices so why would we need to “do” anything to them?
From oilprice.com:
Despite last week’s Saudi announcement of a unilateral oil production cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, oil prices ended the week with a second consecutive weekly loss as market participants continued to be focused on signals of weaker-than-expected demand instead of tighter supply.
Oil traders and speculators seem to have so far largely ignored not only the Saudi attempt to further tighten the market this summer, but also the warning of Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, from the end of May, when the most powerful oilman in the OPEC+ alliance told traders to “watch out” and stop betting on declining oil prices.
“I keep advising them that they will be ouching — they did ouch in April,” Abdulaziz bin Salman said back then.
After an initial hesitation following these remarks, traders continued to pile bearish bets on oil futures a week before the June 4 meeting of the OPEC+ group.
After the meeting, oil prices failed to keep a one-day rise and slumped last week amid concerns that demand may not be as strong as many analysts had forecast early this year. Uncertainty about oil demand in China and looming recessions in developed economies continue to be the drivers of oil price moves, not the Saudi cut.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Oil-Traders-Ignore-Saudi-Warning-To-Watch-Out.html