From fist bump to poke in the eye

The U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia has always been complicated. With the recent decision by the Saudiled OPEC Plus cartel to scale back oil supplies by up to two million barrels per day in order to bolster international oil pricing, the complicated relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia became downright confrontational.

President Biden pledged last Tuesday to impose “consequences” on Saudi Arabia. In explaining what that meant, White House personnel spoke of a willingness to re-evaluate the entire U.S. relationship with the kingdom and an openness to considering retaliatory measures proposed by members of Congress and others, including the curbing of arms sales and permitting legal action against the OPEC Plus cartel.

Although the president was intentionally vague regarding the details of what would happen and when, he was direct and clear in his promise that “there will be consequences.”

Mr. Biden has reason to be upset. Last July, Biden made a much-publicized and highly criticized relationshipmending visit to Saudi Arabia despite a campaign promise to make the kingdom an international “pariah” for the 2018 killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Upon arrival In Riyadh Biden avoided an embrace or warm handshake with the 37-year-old de facto Saudi ruler, Crown the visit, U.S. officials said they reached an understanding that Saudi Arabia would increase oil production in the fall and lower gasoline prices heading into the critical, upcoming midterm elections.

BIDEN’S CHALLENGE IS TO FORMULATE A SAUDI RESPONSE THAT SATISFIES HIS DOMESTIC POLITICAL NEEDS, IS CAREFUL NOT TO AGGRAVATE THE FRAGILE U.S. ECONOMY IN THE RUN-UP TO THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND PRESERVES INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS RELATING TO RUSSIA AND ELSEWHERE AROUND THE WORLD.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who the CIA says ordered the murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi and defaulted to a fist bump — which made critics even more upset, as it was viewed as the equivalent of a brotherly embrace. Nonetheless, following discussions during