Biden Returns from Middle East Empty-handed

By Claudia Luna Palencia | Atalayar.com, edited by Al-Ahed News

Back to the clouds. The reaction of oil prices on the international market has shown that the United States' approach to recalibrate its alliances with several Middle Eastern countries has not achieved its initial purpose: not all of them want to take a stand in favor of contributing to the defense of Ukraine and not all of them are willing to pump oil to help lower prices.

On 9 July, President Joe Biden wrote an article to the Washington Post in which he explained to the public all the reasons for his trip to ‘Israel,’ the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and a meeting with the Gulf states. In the article, Biden reiterated that he would "use all his diplomacy" with them.

"A more secure and integrated Middle East benefits Americans in many ways. Its waterways are essential to global trade and the supply chains we depend on. Its energy resources are vital to mitigating the impact on global supplies of Russia's war in Ukraine. And a region that unites through diplomacy and cooperation, rather than separates through conflict, is less likely to breed violent extremism that threaten our homeland or new wars that could impose new burdens on America's military forces and their families," he wrote.

With his published letter, Biden sought to quell criticism of his choice to meet with Mohammed bin Salman, the controversial Saudi prince suspected of being behind the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and critic of the Saudi regime. At the time, Biden openly condemned Bin Salman's meddling he did during his 2018 election campaign and vowed to make a pariah of Saudi Arabia.

"I know there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. My views on human rights are clear and longstanding and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip, just as they will be in ‘Israel’ and the West Bank," he argued in his written statement.

The alterations in oil prices are dismaying, hitting the importing countries and those most dependent on this fossil fuel to the point of suffocation, weighing down expectations of economic growth and fueling inflation that will end up eating away at people's purchasing power and workers' wages.

While the veto on Russian oil - by sea or pipeline - has prospered since last June as agreed in the EU, it is Russia's turn to make a move in this complicated war and geopolitical chess game, and the Kremlin is beginning to reduce its gas sales to Europe, which is precisely its weak point.

What has happened? International analysts warned a month after the invasion began that the world energy market would enter a serious imbalance that could push prices to unprecedented levels if a veto or boycott was initiated by the United States and Europe.

Oil prices are sensitive to supply shocks, demand shocks, world events, natural disasters and wars. Once again, the price of a barrel is above 100 dollars, as it was 50 years ago, and threatens to rise further.

Biden's tour with timid results

As Biden returned to the White House from his tour of several Middle Eastern countries, Brent crude oil was up 5.05 per cent at 106.27 dollars for September delivery, while West Texas crude was also above 100 dollars at 102.60 dollars, up 5.13 per cent.

Biden failed to convince the Arab countries, the main oil producers, to increase their oil production in order to deflate oil prices and give inflation a breather.

Oil as a weapon again. And a clear message to Biden and his allies who support Ukraine, because neither ‘Israel,’ nor Saudi Arabia, nor any other Persian Gulf country has gotten involved and joined the sanctions against Russia. And it is as revealing to take a position as it is not to take a position. In geopolitics, everything adds up.

Biden's first gesture was to ‘Israel.’ His predecessor in the White House, Donald Trump, maintained a very close relationship with the then prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, even on a personal level.

With Netanyahu no longer in power, President Biden held a meeting with Yair Lapid, who has been Prime Minister since 1 July.

Biden went to ‘Israel’ to strengthen his relationship with a strategic partner in the Middle East that in recent months has seen its relationship with Russia deteriorate, also as collateral damage from the invasion of Ukraine. While ‘Israel’ has been reluctant to get involved - it has not joined the sanctions - it did send Kiev helmets, waistcoats and supplies for the Ukrainian army, although it did not heed Zelensky's requests to borrow the Iron Dome air ‘defense’ system.  ‘Israel’ also voted in the Security Council to expel Russia from the Human Rights Council.

The White House has pursued an agenda in the Middle East that has been partially fulfilled because Biden has returned home without signing any major agreements with Saudi Arabia or the rest of the Gulf states, primarily on security and ‘defense’ against Iran and progress in establishing ‘Israel's’ relations with other countries in the region.

There is a tangle of intricate interests in the Middle East.

The US has an interest in maintaining a strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia to counterbalance ‘Iran's plans’ for a more dominant role in the region...

Saudi Aramco produces 10.3 million barrels of oil per day; according to the US, it could have a margin of availability to pump up to 12 million barrels per day.

However, Biden failed to convince the Saudi regime to increase its daily production and Saudi Arabia's own energy minister Abdelaziz bin Salman believes that it will not be until 2026 or 2027 that the country will be in a position to increase production to 13.4 million barrels per day.

Biden has not secured more oil but also no concrete agreement with the Gulf states following the Jeddah meeting in Saudi Arabia on 16 July with the leaders of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the host country.

"The United States is committed to building a positive future in the region, in partnership with all of you. We will not go anywhere, and we will not stand back. We will not walk away, nor will there be a vacuum to be exploited by China, Russia or Iran," he said.

Arab leaders have listened to him but none have come out in favor of supporting the United States in its sanctions against Russia, nor have they shown support for Ukraine. None of them have backed Washington's ambitions for a grand regional security agreement, and not even the specter of Iran has united them, with some countries such as the United Arab Emirates welcoming Russian capital as they flee the West.

The US imperialist policy faces a vacuum in the Middle East that does not forget everything that has happened in Afghanistan and Iraq. On the contrary, China is moving forward with its investments and its "friendly" policy of the New Silk Road.

The US speaks the language of war... Beijing's response comes in the form of investments in the Middle East: in Iraq it has invested 100 billion dollars in the construction sector and companies such as the Power Construction Corporation of China have plans to build a thousand schools; in Oman it has invested in the port of Duqm; in Iran it will invest 400 billion dollars in various infrastructure projects for the long term. But there is more investment injection in other countries in the region. The US faces a clear vacuum in the region.