Biden Attempts to Fix Tensions With Saudi Arabia

Biden Attempts to Fix Tensions With Saudi Arabia

(USNewsMag.com) – Saudi Arabia has long been one of America’s most important allies in the Middle East. Relations between the two nations have been tense since the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Now President Joe Biden is reportedly trying to repair the relationship with the Middle Eastern country.

Americans are finally seeing a small amount of relief at the pumps after months of surging gas prices. But the president is hoping to provide even more help by repairing the relationship with Saudi Arabia. According to March 21 reports, the US transferred Patriot anti-missile interceptors to the Middle Eastern nation, something the country had been desperately seeking amid a wave of missile and drone strikes from Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Biden is allegedly hoping the arms deal will convince the Saudi Arabian government to increase oil production to meet demand, something the OPEC nation has refused to do for months as prices rose.

House Republicans are against any deal Biden makes with outside nations.

Asking Saudi Arabia, a country whose citizens were accused of having involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, doesn’t sit right with many Americans. Conservatives believe the US, which is already the biggest oil producer, should increase production at home. After all, why should the US become even more dependent on other countries for a resource it can develop at home?

It’s unclear whether Biden’s scheme convinced Saudi Arabia to release more oil. What is clear is he hasn’t moved an inch toward making his own policies more energy-friendly. And even though prices are dropping slowly, Americans are still hurting.

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