Saudi Crown Prince Warned US of Economic Consequences and Expresses Interest in Importing Weapons from China

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is next in line to become the king of Saudi Arabia, privately cautioned the United States about the potential severe economic consequences if President Joe Biden took action against Saudi Arabia for reducing oil production. This information was reported by The Washington Post.

In the past year, President Biden had pledged that there would be repercussions for Saudi Arabia when they decreased oil production. This occurred during a time when energy prices were high, impacting the United States and Europe significantly. The crown prince's warning was made during that period, as mentioned in a classified document cited by The Washington Post.

As per the document, the crown prince expressed his intention to disengage from the US administration. Another leaked document revealed Saudi Arabia's plans to enhance its business ties with China.

According to a document from December 2022, Saudi Arabia aims to procure drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and mass surveillance systems from Beijing.

The report notes that President Biden did follow through with his threat. However, Saudi Arabia recently made a commitment to further reduce oil production by 1 million barrels per day starting in July.

The disclosure of classified documents was attributed to Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who allegedly leaked a substantial amount of Pentagon information earlier this year, as reported by The Washington Post.

When approached by The Washington Post, the US National Security Council stated that they were not aware of any such threats made by Saudi Arabia. They further stated that these documents represent a specific moment in time and may not present the complete picture.

The official emphasized that the US continues to collaborate with Saudi Arabia and considers them a vital partner in the region. The US aims to advance shared interests and work towards establishing a secure, stable, and prosperous region connected to the rest of the world.

US officials also stated that the notion of Saudi Arabia forming a partnership with China has been exaggerated and has not materialized.

Since last year, the US has been urging the Saudi government to raise the cost of crude oil production due to concerns about escalating fuel prices and the potential for inflation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, following a visit by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan a few weeks earlier.