All articles tagged with #us saudi relations
The US State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and family members from its embassy in Riyadh, citing escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure. This move coincides with quiet military drawdowns across the region and rising oil prices, as Washington weighs potential strikes on Iran following the November 3 midterm elections.
Iran-backed Houthis launched deadly missile attacks on Saudi airports, killing 13 and injuring over 300. The strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have forced closures, disrupted major economic conferences, and raised concerns about the viability of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030. While Saudi officials maintain a defiant stance, experts warn that the inability to secure key infrastructure is damaging the kingdom's reputation as a global investment hub.
Saudi Arabia faces its most severe security crisis since the 1991 Gulf War as Iran-backed Houthis escalate attacks on Riyadh, including a strike on King Khalid Airport that killed three people and grounded hundreds of flights. The kingdom is now hosting major economic summits under threat, while US President Donald Trump has refused direct military intervention, forcing Riyadh to rely on limited support from Pakistan, Turkey, and France. The conflict has upended the 2022 Yemen ceasefire and threatens Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic ambitions.
Brett McGurk, a former senior Middle East adviser to President Biden, disclosed in a new interview that the U.S. president was on the verge of imposing severe sanctions on Israel following the April 2024 drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. McGurk stated that Biden only halted this potential 'draconian' response after intelligence revealed an imminent, large-scale Iranian aerial attack on Israel. The former aide also detailed the Biden administration's internal debates over cutting off weapons supplies, its failure to act on early Saudi normalization offers, and the lack of U.S. intelligence warnings prior to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Saudi Aramco has suspended crude oil shipments to European customers following a drone attack on the East-West pipeline, a move that exacerbates supply fears as Houthi forces seize control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. While oil prices have spiked above $107 per barrel, President Trump has declined to intervene militarily against the Houthis, citing domestic political constraints and a focus on the Strait of Hormuz. This hesitation has prompted Saudi Arabia to pursue a 14-nation maritime alliance and redefine its role as a global energy guarantor, signaling a shift in the traditional US-Gulf security bargain.
Iran-backed Houthis captured the Yemeni port of Mocha and Perim Island in a 36-hour offensive, seizing control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The rapid advance exposed critical failures in Saudi air support and US coordination, with Yemeni forces described as severely depleted. The capture threatens global shipping routes and oil prices, intensifying the broader US-Iran conflict.
The United States has deployed approximately 200 military advisers to Saudi Arabia to provide intelligence and targeting support for Riyadh’s campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. This new joint forces command aims to prevent the conflict from spilling into open war and threatening the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. While the US is not directly participating in strikes or refueling aircraft, it is sharing real-time battlefield data and geospatial targeting information. The move comes amid intensified Houthi attacks, including a recent seizure of a strategic Red Sea port and missile strikes on Saudi infrastructure, which US officials link to increased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps presence in Yemen.
President Donald Trump faces conflicting diplomatic signals from Saudi Arabia and Israel regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran. While Saudi officials urged de-escalation to mitigate regional risks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed skepticism about diplomacy and discussed renewed military pressure. Simultaneously, the US and Saudi Arabia conducted joint strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, marking a significant escalation despite a brief pause in direct hostilities. Trump remains frustrated by Iran’s refusal to negotiate, citing internal divisions within Tehran’s leadership, while facing growing domestic pressure to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis before midterm elections.
Joint US-Saudi airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq killed at least 20 fighters, marking Riyadh’s first public combat role in the Iran war. Iran retaliated with a missile attack on US forces in Jordan, which was intercepted, followed by a new wave of US strikes on Iranian military targets. The escalation has triggered diplomatic rifts, including Iraq canceling a meeting with Saudi Arabia, and caused oil prices to surge as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely depressed.
President Trump again links a Saudi civil nuclear deal to Riyadh’s normalization of ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, saying the pact can only proceed if Israel and Saudi Arabia formalize relations; the agreement, signed earlier, would span about 30 years with U.S. oversight, and Riyadh’s stance on Palestinian statehood remains a barrier—while U.S. officials insist there will be no uranium enrichment and the deal includes monitoring.
The United States and Saudi Arabia finalized a nuclear technology-sharing deal that could allow US companies to build reactors in Saudi Arabia and potentially enrich reactor fuel, marking a policy shift away from previous agreements that barred enrichment. The move has drawn concern from nonproliferation experts and some lawmakers who fear it could elevate proliferation risks and spark a regional nuclear race. The deal now goes to Congress for approval, where lawmakers would need a veto-proof majority to block it.
The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral safeguards pact that could allow Riyadh to enrich uranium for reactors, potentially laying the groundwork for a future enrichment facility after a joint study. The deal, projected to span about 30 years and involve US firms like Westinghouse, will be sent to Congress for review amid concerns over monitoring safeguards and broader regional tensions with Iran. Supporters say it strengthens nonproliferation standards and economic and security ties, while critics warn of insufficient oversight.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged Saudi Arabia to expel U.S. forces, arguing their presence offers no security after Tehran’s strike damaged a major U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia and wounded American personnel, signaling a challenge to long-running U.S.-Saudi security ties and portraying the move as opposition to “enemy aggressors.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman plans to meet President Trump to discuss a defense agreement and potential normalization of ties with Israel, contingent on progress towards a Palestinian state, amid complex regional and diplomatic considerations.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on November 18 to discuss strengthening ties, including potential defense agreements and Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, amid ongoing negotiations and strategic cooperation between the two nations.