Global Economy

How Congress can force Trump's hand on Saudi sanctions — and why the consequences would be major


Still, security experts point out the importance of the two very different countries’ shared regional interests.

“The Khashoggi affair is the greatest challenge in U.S.-Saudi relations since 9/11,” said Dave DesRoches, an associate professor and senior military fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.

“It is quite possible that there will be various sanctions imposed, but this should not obscure the fact that the U.S. is the oldest and most reliable security partner of the Saudi Arabia, and that Saudi Arabia knows its best prospects for security lay in a close operational and strategic relationship with the U.S.,” he said.

Trump and officials in Washington have also expressed concern that pressures may accelerate a Saudi shift eastward, with Russia and China keen to create a wedge between the two allies, though they presently lack the capacity to match the U.S. in terms of weapons provisions and military support.

But it’s about a lot more than just weapons, Eurasia Group’s Kamel said.

“Saudi Arabia has been the prime ally of the West in the region. You take that out of the equation, then the Middle East looks very, very different. Especially at a time when the U.S. is trying to contain Iranian power, influence, oil exports altogether. How you do that without the Saudis is a big problem I think.”

“There no doubt that the U.S.-Saudi relationship will be damaged,” he added. “The only question is to what extent.”



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