Though much attention has been given in the media to Israel’s great unhappiness with the Iran deal that the Americans are close to concluding in Vienna, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are also most unhappy with the revived deal. A report on how they have expressed their alarm and displeasure is here: “Saudi Arabia, UAE leaders not returning Biden’s calls, disappointed with US – report,” by Tal Spungin, Jerusalem Post, March 9, 2022:
The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been declining calls from US President Joe Biden for several weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing officials in the Middle East and the United States.
They prefer not to engage in any kind of telephone dialogue where they would have to listen to Joe Biden try to convince them to do the world a favor and greatly increase their oil production, when what they want to talk about is something else: they believe that the revived Iran deal is misconceived and dangerous. It’s easier to refuse to take Biden’s calls, a telling snub that signals their great unhappiness with Washington.
The messages of dissatisfaction sent by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Emirati Shiekh [sic] Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan come as the two leaders share concerns over the American response to recent missile and drone strikes from Yemen, claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
In January, the Houthis targeted civilian sites in the UAE with a combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones. They killed several people. The American response to this attack? Nothing. And the Houthis keep targeting Saudi airbases and oil installations as well. The American response to those attacks? Again, nothing. In fact, in January 2021, Biden lifted the designation of “terrorist organization” from the Houthis, and despite their record of attacking civilians and civilian structures in two countries with which we are allied, he still has not reimposed either that designation or the sanctions that go with it.
The two nations are also reportedly disappointed with the state of negotiations in the ever-nearing Iran nuclear deal, according to the WSJ.
The deal, which IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called “very complex,” does not account for Saudi and Emirati security interests, they claimed.
For more than a year Biden, Blinken, and Sullivan have been promising that they were going to “lengthen and strengthen” the revived Iran deal. They would make sure that Iran’s ballistic missile program would be addressed, and so would Iran’s regional aggression, carried out through a network of proxies and allies, including the Houthis in Yemen, the Shi’a militia Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now we know that the deal being finalized in Vienna says nothing about ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads, or about Iranian aggression through proxies in the region, especially — as far as the Emirates and Saudi Arabia are concerned – the attacks on them launched by the Houthis in Yemen.
The US has been pushing to repair its relations with the two nations as it looks to stifle an oil crisis. Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports on Tuesday as gas prices reached an all-time high globally.
Biden now desperately needs to bring down the skyrocketing price of gasoline at the pump – that is, if he wants his party to have a chance to prevail in the 2022 Congressional elections and he to be reelected in 2024. He needs to persuade the UAE and Saudi Arabia to greatly increase their oil production. They want from him only this — that he reimpose on the Houthis the designation “terrorist organization” and the sanctions that go with it, and that there be included in the revived Iran deal a system of sanctions to be imposed on Iran if it continues to support the Houthis and Hezbollah. Can Biden refuse them this request, at a time when the price of oil rises precipitously and there is no end in sight to Putin’s war? He needs them to pump more oil, and right away.
“There was some expectation of a phone call [between Biden and MBS], but it didn’t happen,” an American source told WSJ, adding that the call was intended to focus on “turning on the spigot [of Saudi oil].“
In addition, support from the Middle Eastern oil giants is increasingly important to the US in order to create a united front against Russia due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia has long been disappointed with its reportedly deteriorating relationship with the US since Biden was sworn in, according to the report. Along with more support in Yemen, the Saudis are reportedly seeking assistance with their own civilian nuclear program, in addition to clarification on the legal position of MBS in the US due to lawsuits filed over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia wants the U.S. to take its side against the Houthis in Yemen, instead of criticizing the Kingdom for indiscriminate bombing causing civilian deaths in Yemen. The Crown Prince is also incensed that the Bidenites clearly believe he is responsible for the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; he would like the Americans to make clear that MBS will not be pursued for that killing in American courts, now that the “real killers” have been tried and convicted in Saudi courts. Finally, the Saudis would like American help with their civilian nuclear program.
What if, in Vienna, the Americans were at this point to unexpectedly announce that the revived deal must include new sanctions on Iran if it continues to support attacks on civilians by the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon? Outrage from the Iranians, but the Americans – having sent Rob Malley packing and brought back to replace him the three negotiators who quit in February in protest at his concessions – will stick to their guns, for they know from Blinken that otherwise the UAE and Saudi Arabia won’t be turning the oil spigot on at full blast, as Biden so desperately needs. And the Iranians won’t budge either; “no more concessions” they will proclaim, as they pack their bags and head home to Tehran. Thus we would have a complete breakdown in the talks, and no revived Iran deal after all. Could the Russian invasion of Ukraine have led, by the most roundabout of ways, to saving the day in the Middle East, by causing that “bad, terrible” deal to be abandoned at the last moment after all?
noel says
With this new deal we have destroyed relationship with at least two of are allies.
gravenimage says
Not sure these Muslims thugs are our “allies”, noel. The Saudis described the Americans as their “blue-eyed slaves” back in the 1990s. Then there was their involvement in 9/11…
That being said, our playing footsie with the vicious Mullahs is also nuts.
jule says
But its the Muslim Bros who have Bidens ear who also want Saudi, Israel and USA brought down. These types work with Iran and all their terrorists for their own Supremacist ideas and feed Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi etc.
gravenimage says
All Islamic thugs. The MB is mostly Sunni, but it would not surprise me if they also fund Shia terrorists at times.
PMK says
It turns out Russia is demanding the deal guarantee that they will be exempted from EU and US sanctions in any future business deals with Iran, so this deal might collapse.
As for the Saudis and UAE, they are questionable allies, at best. What have they done to turn off the spigot of money going to Islamic terror groups? Iran isn’t the only country that will see windfall profits from rising energy prices. The Saudis will, too.
Infidel says
Actually, as far as islamic terror groups go, a couple of years ago, I read about the Saudis, given the price of oil going negative and all that, completely cutting off all foreign dawa and jihad financing, and contemplating an income tax. Since then, of course, oil has skyrocketed, giving the Saudis more time to transition their economy out of oil. I’m not sure whether they’ve resumed funding of jihadist groups, but these days, given that jihadists in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh are denouncing the Saudis as kafirs, I think they haven’t. So I think both the Saudis and the Emiratis are fine in that department
On the question of their support to the US, when Biden came in, he made it a point to slight MbS for the Khashoggi murder, declare that he’d only deal w/ the king Salman (even though MbS is the de-facto ruler) and on top of that, removed the Houthis off the terror list and started resurrecting the JCPOA. Given all that, why would the Saudis back the Western stance vs Russia, when they have no interests either way on Ukraine’s independence. So when the US is sanctioning Russian oil, the Saudis and Emiratis simply refused to pump more, and in fact, have closed ranks w/ Moscow in this case. Thanks to Putin (and of course Biden’s idiocy), oil has gone from negative territory 2 years ago to now somewhere near $150/barrel. So why on earth should the Saudis support any policy that changes the status back to what it was before this invasion, when their oil is still on the market, and can’t be cut off b’cos everything else is – Russian, Iranian, Venezuelan, US,…
The Saudis were not allies under previous rulers, like Abdullah and Fahd. They are demonstrably better now, since they have shut down much of the hate preachings against Jews and Christians in the country. In fact, even w/ Iran, they have been improving relations ever since Biden came to power, but they still see Iran wanting to go nuclear. Given all that, they absolutely should be anti-US at least as long as the Dems are in power
Miles says
And additional information also to
your list:
Shiite groups support and help Iran
On the other hand, the Sunni groups are ready to take any actions towards Saudi Arabia
and support for Iran
Saudi Arabia has been subjected to numerous terrorist attacks by groups affiliated with the year
On the opposite side, Iran has not been subjected to any terrorist attack. ISIS has not carried out any attacks against Iran. Al-Qaeda has not carried out any attacks or any other group.
And Iran embraces terrorist leaders from al-Qaeda and others to this day
On the other hand, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the most important and largest countries in the fight against terrorism
Top contributors to UNCCT (data as of 30 November 2021)
1.
Saudi Arabia
110,000,000
These are facts
And Saudi Arabia has a vision for a renaissance
To present moderate Islam, this is very wonderful
and openness to the world.
You have Iran and the ideology of exporting the revolution on which the regime is based, and without it, it will fall
You have Saudi Arabia and the 2030 vision for prosperity and moderate Islam that accepts and respects all religions and beliefs
They have had a radical change in the last 5 years, either support them or restrain and return
Biden must support the right project for him and the world
data source
https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/funding-and-donors
gravenimage says
Miles wrote:
On the other hand, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the most important and largest countries in the fight against terrorism
………………..
Miles, Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest funders of Jihad terror in the world, and was involved in 9/11.
More:
And Saudi Arabia has a vision for a renaissance
To present moderate Islam, this is very wonderful
and openness to the world.
………………..
Miles, even if women may be allowed to drive this does not make Saudi Arabia a bastion of freedom as you appear to believe. Moreover, Saudi authorities are still imprisoning and torturing women who demonstrated for this freedom. Only a handful of women have actually received driver’s licenses.
Saudi Arabia is actually one of the worst Shari’ah states in the world.
Then, I’m afraid there is no “moderate Islam”. Even if Saudi Arabia really did loosen some Shari’ah strictures, this *does not* change the nature of Islam as you appear to believe.
And any “renaissance” in Islam means a return to the full savagery of Islam–much as what we saw in the Islamic State. There is no civilized Islam to “return” to.
jule says
Yes. However not all Sunni want to bring Saudi down but Muslim bros are vicious and with Qatar. The gulf and Egypt hate Muslim Bros for all their extra trouble and with Hamas etc. Saudi would rather work with Israel, US than Iran and their terrorists. But with Biden strengthening Iran to further bomb Saudi with Houthi and more…..Biden has Muslim Bros in Government. Biden does not know whats going on in this complicated world. Not even the basics of today.
Westman says
This is reminiscent of the situation when John Glenn’s wife, Annie, wouldn’t let Lyndon Johnson in her house for a PR stunt when John was about to go up on Mercury-Atlas 6. LBJ threw a fit in the back seat of the limo. “I’m the %$&#@ Vice President of the United States!”
Wish we could be a fly on the wall to watch the Biden admin fits over snubbing by SA.
Infidel says
While Israel is likely to remain loyal to the US no matter what, Biden’s policy on Iran as well as the removal of the Houthis from the terrorist list probably has already driven Saudi Arabia into the Russian camp, and is likely to do the same for the Emirates. In the meantime, in Libya, a militia has shut down an oilfield w/ 330 barrels a day, and that’ll throttle supply even more. Essentially, the US is not gonna get Iran as an ally: the latter will remain an ally of Russia, but we have successfully driven Saudi Arabia into the Russian camp. And none of the alternatives – be it Venezuela, Iran or anyone else – will be able to make up the difference
And they won’t get back to the Trump policies either. Just the new regulations they’ve introduced makes it unlikely that domestic supply will improve
gravenimage says
Saudis, Emiratis Alarmed by U.S. Capitulation to Iran
…………..
Of course they only want us to capitulate *to them*. Really, we should have minimal relations with all of these Muslim thugs.
Tim says
on the plus side this U.S. surrendering to Iran drives SA closer to Israel