Reevaluation of Saudi-US relations

There is concern among many observers that the Biden administration is trying to return the US’ approach to foreign policy to how it was before Donald Trump’s presidency.

The call that took place between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the new US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last month reaffirmed the defense partnership between Riyadh and Washington and included a special appreciation of the Kingdom’s commitment to a political solution in Yemen. It must be noted that the Houthis — and not the legitimate government or the coalition that supports it — is the party that refuses to negotiate and reject peaceful solutions.

Biden has the right to tell the world that he is different from Trump, but opening the path to negotiations with the Houthis will make no

Biden has the right to tell the world that he is different from Trump, but opening the path to negotiations with the Houthis will make

no difference.

difference, as their decisions are in the hands of Tehran, which is telling them to pressure the Kingdom and its allies while it seeks to make progress on its nuclear agreement file.

The most amazing thing is the insistence of the US, Europe and human rights organizations on focusing on human rights issues in Saudi Arabia. However, they should know that the annual number of legal executions in the Kingdom does not exceed 200, while the state of Texas alone has carried out more than 500 since 1982. There are also more than 2,500 people on death row in the US and no one criticizes that. In Iran, protesters are killed in the streets and discrimination on the basis of ethnicity is practiced against Arabs in terms of employment, judicial decisions, military service and civil rights. And no one talks about that either.

The US should not risk losing the cooperation of its most important and heavyweight allies. If it wants Saudi Arabia’s help in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, it should not hold the Kingdom responsible for the mistakes of others and not oppose its right to defend itself. It is imperative that Washington should focus on building Arab alliances and blocs to help serve its national interests.