Saudi Arabia Faces ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ After Being Rebuffed by Trump
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Saudi Arabia has increasingly found itself caught in the middle of the war between the United States and Iran. Now, the kingdom’s leadership is assessing dwindling options on how to respond.
In recent weeks, the Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen has repeatedly attacked the kingdom, threatening to throttle its ability to export oil and piling pressure on the global economy. But Saudi Arabia has been left frustrated and disappointed by President Trump’s reluctance to confront the Houthis, former diplomats and analysts say.
The kingdom’s diplomatic efforts to engage with Iran have also had limited results. A meeting planned on Monday between officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries was abruptly postponed on Sunday night, as the gap between their positions remained vast.
“Right now the Saudis are really frustrated,” said Michael Ratney, a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “In some sense it’s their worst-case scenario.”
The Saudi government’s Center for International Communication, which fields queries from journalists, did not respond to a request for comment.
The kingdom’s conundrum underscores the heavy costs that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has imposed across the Middle East, including on countries whose leaders opposed the war or have sought repeatedly to bring it to an end.
In the first few months of the fighting, Saudi Arabia was relatively untouched by Iran’s retaliatory attacks, compared with its neighbors. Now, with no end to the hostilities in sight, Iran is seeking greater leverage over the United States, and Saudi Arabia — the world’s largest oil exporter until the war knocked it down the list — has become a primary target.
Over the past two weeks alone, Saudi Arabia has faced Iran-backed attacks from the east, the south and the north.
A Saudi oil tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz at the end of August, killing two sailors.
On Friday, the Houthi militia, which had already declared a blockade on Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea, seized territory on an important global shipping route and trounced Saudi-allied forces in Yemen.
“The reason a country like Saudi Arabia invests so heavily in developing a security partnership with the United States is for just this sort of eventuality,” said Mr. Ratney, the former ambassador.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, the country’s de facto ruler, had reasons to be confident in that partnership. For years, his government has invested billions of dollars and extensive political capital in building personal relationships with Mr. Trump and his family.
But when the crown prince asked Mr. Trump last week to take military action against the Houthis, the president declined , according to officials with knowledge of the conversations.
“This demands international support, not only from Saudi Arabia and regional countries,” Abdulrahman al-Rashed, a columnist close to the Saudi government, wrote in a Saudi-owned newspaper on Saturday.
Mr. Trump, however, appears reluctant to get involved.
“Already confronting one open-ended conflict with Iran, with an overstretched Navy and a diminishing munitions stockpile, it’s unsurprising that he does not want to open this new front,” said Dan Shapiro, a former top Middle East policy official in the Pentagon during the Biden administration. “But it is bitterly disappointing to the Saudis.”
On Saturday, Mr. Trump told journalists on a trip to Ireland that the Houthis had “called us and they don’t want to fight with us.”
“There’s just one country that they’re not too happy with and we’ll get that straightened out,” he added, referring to Saudi Arabia.
Whether the United States gets involved in Yemen is still a matter of discussion, and Washington is continuing to assist Saudi Arabia with intelligence, said Vice Admiral John W. Miller, a retired U.S. Navy commander in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is now likely to turn to diplomacy, according to Barbara Leaf, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs at the State Department. Despite years of Saudi, U.S. and Israeli bombing campaigns against the Houthis, “no one has come up with a military solution” for dealing with them, she said.
Saudi Arabia could also work with its neighbors and Iran to hammer out an “ugly set of arrangements” to bring the war with Iran to an end, she said.
For now, Saudi officials are unlikely to complain publicly about the United States, however frustrated they feel, analysts said.
“They’re not going to show some sort of distance,” she said. “They’re going to have to generate some other diplomatic effort.”
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To quote Kissinger: "... it may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal".
thanks to the great white dope, america doesn't have any more friends left, except for russia, and north korea ...
Very true.... Sadly.
Morning...ahh don't forget Argentina..they have been doing abit of brown nosing lately...
They think they are ready to try for the Falkland Islands again.
I suppose they will never stop.
But the French and Spanish were there first...in the 1500's
Must be something about those sheep?
no, no, not brown, those are beige nazis ...
True.
There are arguments on both sides.
But here's what the people actually living there want:
While Argentina claims a right to colonise the territory for economic gain, Britain has supported the right of self-determination of Falkland islanders. Today, Falkland Islanders overwhelmingly prefer to remain British
Agreed.
Remember the Iron Lady's sailing an armada there to protect them.
Which shockingly the Argentines put a huge dent in by targeting British war ships.
When the Atlantic Conveyor was sunk, it took most of the Armies vehicles and 9 helicopters with it.
The assaults on the Falkland's were almost entirely carried out by 4,000 light infantry without armored vehicles or air transport.
While the Argentine Air Force had many planes it had few experienced pilots.
After initial success with their limited supply of Exocet missiles, they ran out of pilots.
Other countries only like the USA when we are giving them stuff or fixing their problems.
but a lot of people from other countries seen to want to come here
Unless someone here is either
All other Americans are descended from immigrants!
There is a theory that American Indians ("Native Americans") actually originated in Siberia and crossed over into North America. If this is true then the Indians were also descended from immigrants!
I am more concerned about now than long time ago.
I am as well.
I just wanted to point out that we are a country of immigrants and/or the descendents of immigrants.
As with any group, some immigrants have created problems-- but many have made major positive contributions to this country..
and now the country is full of people
And when all those immigrants came, all they had to do to get land was chase the Indians away. Now the place is full and there is no more land left. Past time to realize we can't keep letting more come
If you trace things back far enough, everbody is a descendent of an immigrant from somewhere; so, immigrants are not special.
Well that's certainly an over simplification at best.
We have driven coast to coast and Texas to Las Vegas multiple times and there are hundreds and hundreds of miles of
forest, desert, public lands and mountains where the only thing you worry about is how much gas you have and if there's a signal for your phone.
Maybe the best lands are privately held, certainly the riskiest along every coast, but there are 1.4 billion acres of private property and 1.62 billion acres of public lands managed by the BLM.
Lot's of room...
Are you saying that as a criticism of the U.S.? I would think that is actually a complement rather than a criticism.
Have you spent much time in the Midwest or The Rockies? Alaska?
Maine? New Hampshire? The Dakotas?
Some actually want to move here-- to immigrate, move here and become citizens.
Beverly Hills California has had not one but two Persian ("Iranian") immigrants who became mayors;
Beverly Hills California has had not one but two Persian ("Iranian") immigrants who became mayors;
Beverly Hills is a very "upscale" neighbourhood:
In American popular culture , Beverly Hills has been known as an affluent suburb within Greater Los Angeles, which corresponds to higher property values and taxes in the area.
The city is well known for its Rodeo Drive shopping district that includes many designer brands. Throughout its history, the city has been home to many celebrities . It is noted for numerous hotels and resorts , including the Beverly Hilton and the Beverly Hills Hotel .
The city has been featured in many movies, television series , music , and media , in the United States and internationally.
I have known two American citizens whose parents immigrated from Iran.
Interestingly, both don't like the term "Iranian-Americans". They insist on using the term "Persian-Americans".
Arvo...I would have thought they would just want to be known as American's..
Who cares where you are from, you have decided to migrate therefore you should embrace your new country..
That's the trouble everyone has to shove a label on everything.. African, Hispanic, Asian you're flaming Americans, why does colour or ethnicity define who you are?..we don't care...
Best one I heard was Anglo Saxon American!!!..that was in the Bath Youth Hostel..we just stared at her and burst out laughing..she couldn't figure out why..
After that my Kiwi friend and if asked said Anglo Saxon Australian and Anglo Saxon New Zealander..
The Brits thought we were nuts..when we told them why, they just shook their heads and laughed as well..
So, if an American emigrates to Australia they should just start referring to themselves as an Ausie? No hybrid cultural reference? They're just 'Australian' now?
Most likely they and their neighbors will still call them the "American' who lives here, not an American-Ausie or any hybridization nomenclature.
I think it's interesting that I've only really seen the hybridization when people from other places come to live in America, that's when they add "American" to their existing culture to represent the American melting pot of mixed cultures. We are a nation of immigrants even if the ones who got here first want to claim some bullshit "American" heritage, but we're all a mix of one global culture or another combined with American idealism.
We've all heard people refer to themselves as Chinese-American, but have you ever heard anyone call themselves American-Chinese just because they live in China? We've heard "American Indian" but that's not an American living in India. But here we have Iranian-American, Persian-American, Asian-American, Chinese-American, Indian-American, Philippine-American, the list goes on and on, because we are a country of immigrants who want to retain their sense of self, their personal culture, while also becoming something more. They want their individual culture with an American twist and in American you can have that.
If you rock up here you will be referred to as that bloody Yank or American..if I were you at the moment I would be calling yourself a Canadian..🤣
But if in your wisdom you decide to become an Aussie citizen then you will be.. that bloody Aussie with a Yank accent..
Simples..no airs or graces, don't need to state your ethnicity as it's rather obvious...and who cares anyway..
Arvo...I would have thought they would just want to be known as American's..
You're entitled to your opinion.
Who cares where you are from, you have decided to migrate therefore you should embrace your new country..
You are assuming that they haven't! They have-- fully. (If they didn't want to embrace "their new country" . . .they wouldn't have immigrated to the U.S!)
I, for one!
Why? They wanted to come to the U.S.-- and become Americans. (Given the state of the Iranian gov't at the time that's understandible.).
But they are descended from a very ancient culture-- should they deny that?
It seems you are assuming that having a "different" cultural background must be the background is "better"-- or "worse"? Why so judgemental?
I've known many immigrants. Very patriotic Americans-- but also aware of the culture they bring. I like it-- the diversity is interesting to me!
But here we have Iranian-American, Persian-American, Asian-American, Chinese-American, Indian-American, Philippine-American, the list goes on and on, because we are a country of immigrants who want to retain their sense of self, their personal culture, while also becoming something more.
Exactly!
As most people are aware, currently the u;S, and Iran do not have good relations. But should that stop iranian immigrants here by hiding their background?
And of course current day Iran and Israel are enemies. But his another fact that perhaps is even more interesting. Those two Persian ("Persian-American") mayors I mentioned are both Jewish.
Does thast mean that they must give up their religious views in order to become "real Americans"?
The term "Indian" can be confusing. Does it mean American-Indian ("Native American") or someone from the country of India?
People from India use a different phrase: "Desi". A Desi is someone from "South Asia" (that includes the "subcontinent of India" or a "South-Asian")
A "Desi" is someone from one of the three countries of South-Asia: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. *
____________________________________
*Ceylon was its name under British rule, at independence they changed their name to Sri Lanka.
Apparently there are some people who think you can't have that . . .?
We're the one's causing the problems.
note to the saudi's -
with regards to the trump administration not helping to defend your assets from the iranians, in your next meetings with kushner and witkoff, put 2 plastic tarps, a couple bone saws and 84 quart coolers in the room, in plain sight ...