The US has already approved a major arms sale to Riyadh worth $650 million

US sends Patriot missile package to Saudi Arabia

photo_camera AP/ANDREW CABALLERO REYNOLDS - A member of the US Air Force near a Patriot missile battery at Prince Sultan Air Base in al-Kharj, central Saudi Arabia.

New setback in diplomatic relations between the US and Saudi Arabia. The US administration of President Joe Biden has transferred a "significant number" of Patriot anti-missile interceptors to the Saudi kingdom. The delivery was in response to an urgent request from Saudi Arabia at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The move, an unnamed government administration source told AP, is intended to try to strengthen relations in line with Biden's promise that "the United States will have the backs of our friends in the region". This promise has generated certain tensions with countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who consider that the US has abandoned the Middle East and even more so these two countries after showing timid arms support in the war in Yemen. Likewise, Biden's reversal of the decision to include the Houthis as a terrorist group has been another of the main points of contention between the two countries. 

Disparo  del sistema de armas Patriot en la Instalación de Disparo de Misiles de la OTAN, en Chania, Grecia Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense, via AP

The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq after two decades, together with the foreign policy of the Democrat's presidency, seems to make it clear that this region is no longer one of the US's main interests. Biden has thus turned his attention to the Asia-Pacific region, an area that has already emerged as one of the key geopolitical territories of this century. The power and influence of an unstoppable China along with nuclear threats from North Korea and the disputed island of Taiwan appear to be the new US foreign policy priorities. 

El presidente Joe Biden en una rueda de prensa el 21 de marzo de 2022, en Washington AP/PATRICK SEMANSKY

However, the Middle East holds one of America's main interests: oil deposits. Oil, valued even more highly after the cessation of oil purchases from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, continues to play a key role. This conflict has necessarily led to higher oil prices, which is why Joe Biden has sought to ease tensions with his Arab allies in order to increase global oil production.

Un miembro de la Defensa Civil saudí es visto en el lugar de lo que la coalición liderada por Arabia Saudí afirma que fue un ataque con drones por parte del grupo Houthi, alineado con Irán, que tuvo como objetivo la planta desalinizadora de Al-Shaqeeq y las instalaciones de Aramco, en Jizan, Arabia Saudí, el 20 de marzo de 2022 Saudi Press Agency via REUTERS

Saudi Arabia, a member of OPEC+, of which Russia is also a member, and the other countries of the bloc initially refused to increase the quantity. However, the United Arab Emirates' ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba¸ declared just a week ago that the Emirati country wants to increase production and will encourage OPEC+ to consider and evaluate this offer. For US officials, this announcement shows that the issue is "moving in the right direction".

Zona de manipulación y enriquecimiento de gas ácido de la Saudi Oil Company en la planta de gas de Haradh, al este de la capital, Riyadh AFP/HO/ARAMCO

Still, it is worth noting that relations between Washington and Riyadh have been strained since Biden took office. The president refused to speak directly to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immediately upon taking office, which was evidence of the frostiness of relations. 

Combatientes progubernamentales yemeníes ocupan una posición cerca del campamento de al-Muhsam durante los combates para expulsar a los rebeldes hutíes proiraníes de la zona de Harad, en la provincia yemení de Hajjah PHOTO/AFP

On the other hand, there is some US rapprochement with Iran to revive the nuclear deal, which the US abandoned during Donald Trump's presidency. In this regard, Biden has reiterated that he will lift the sanctions imposed on Tehran following its increasing enrichment of uranium if it agrees to abide by the terms of the agreement.

All of this has caused relations between the US and Saudi Arabia to go back and forth. Coupled with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's criticism of the Biden administration for "alleged interference" in the kingdom's affairs has not facilitated détente between Washington and Riyadh. In this sense, the military and political "abandonment" that the US has allegedly carried out in the region "frees" Saudi Arabia from exercising political obligations towards the US.

El príncipe heredero saudí, Mohammed bin Salman Agencia de Noticias de Bahrein vía REUTERS

Thus, when the US asked Saudi Arabia or the UAE to impose economic sanctions against Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine, they were somewhat aloof. So much so that the UAE abstained in the first Security Council vote and then voted in favour of condemnation.

Now, with the new delivery of anti-missile systems, it seems that the United States is trying to get closer to the Arab country, either to try to fulfil its promise to 'cover its back' or to rebuild relations that have been strained at a time when oil is a prime commodity in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.

Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra

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