Saudi Crown Prince Threatened U.S. with Economic Consequences if it Retaliated Against Oil Cuts
Threatened U.S. with Economic Consequences if it Retaliated Against Oil Cuts In the fall of 2022, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) threatened to fundamentally alter the decades-old U.S.-Saudi relationship in case the U.S. retaliated against Saudi Arabia's oil cuts. The threat was made in response to President Biden's vow to impose "consequences" on Riyadh following the country's decision to slash oil production. In public, the Saudi government defended its actions politely via diplomatic statements. But in private, MBS threatened to "not deal with the U.S. administration anymore" and to impose "significant economic costs" on the United States if it retaliated against the oil cuts. The threat was conveyed to the U.S. in a classified document obtained by the Washington Post. The document suggests that MBS' strong message was successful in deterring the Biden administration from taking any action against Saudi Arabia. The incide...