Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s visit to the White House this week was important on many levels. While much has been made of the report that Saudi Arabia accepts US President Barack Obama’s assurances that the Iran nuclear deal will not pose a danger to Gulf nations, the long-term benefit of the visit is that the Kingdom and the United States are back on track after a rather rocky two years.
Since the Obama administration’s negotiations with the Iranians over its nuclear ambitions, Saudi Arabia and its neighbors have expressed not only concern but also deep disappointment that by lifting economic sanctions, Iran could pursue “destabilizing policies” in the Middle East. The war in Yemen is a prime example of Iranian meddling that has cost the lives of civilians and United Arab Emirates and Saudi soldiers.
But King Salman’s visit gave Obama an opportunity to present his case and regain the Saudis’ confidence. Saudi government officials have come to accept Obama’s assurances that Iran can’t acquire nuclear weapons. An important element of the meeting was to get the United States to support countering Iran’s expansionist ambitions in the region.
But the meeting was significant beyond the Iranian issues. It brought two countries back together on the same page. When it became apparent that the United States lacked the will to deal with Bashar Assad’s war on his own people and America’s growing relationship with Iran, Saudi Arabia had to move on without its most trusted ally. Saudi Arabia began forging relationships with other nations on its own, going into Yemen to root out the Houthi rebels and seek strong economic ties with Asian nations.
This is the strength of Saudi Arabia under King Salman. To become a player on the global stage, King Salman has demonstrated that we cannot put all of our eggs in one basket. That is, we can’t rely solely on the United States to be available when we need them. It’s a hard lesson to discover that your best friend is rather fickle, if not timid, when the going gets tough. Strong leadership in these times is a primary ingredient to solve regional issues without that friend’s help.
King Salman is decisive, making strategic changes in his appointments to government positions, including firing deadwood in top government leadership circles or individuals who didn’t show the proper respect to the Saudi population.
King Salman showed the same decisiveness when he sent troops to Yemen to rescue its government and demonstrated generosity by sending financial aid to help Syrian refugees. And even though military resources have been tied up in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has committed itself to stage airstrikes against Daesh, joining the US, its western allies and the UAE.
This commitment alone has paved the way to a series of negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the United States for the Saudi government to obtain state-of-the-art military weapons and technology. It has also led to discussions for Saudis to purchase at least two Navy frigates.
By strengthening Saudi Arabia’s military presence in the region, thanks to the deft diplomacy of King Salman and his team, the Kingdom maintains its leadership role in the region and ensures that the Iranians remain in check.
