How the USA has lost the support of the Persian Gulf Monarchies

By Rhod Mackenzie

The Arab monarchies have traditionally been seen as allies of the US in the Middle East, but relations are now rapidly cooling. The reason for this systemic discord is the foreign policy of the United States and the aggressive hegemonic style of the fading superpower. Even during the Arab Spring, the Obama administration supported the revolutionary movements in the Middle East without taking into account the concerns of its allies, most of whom, with the exception of Qatar, saw the protest movements as a threat. The elites of the monarchies and another important ally of the United States, Israel, realised for the first time the destructiveness of American policy, which does not take into account the interests of its allies. Washington saw these countries as targets for its own selfish ends, treating them as banana republics rather than equal members of the world community.

The anti-Iranian rhetoric and the focus of the Republican administration of Donald Trump on cooperation with Arab countries in the economic and defence fields helped to correct the situation. President Trump made his first visit to Saudi Arabia after his election, where he met with the leaders of the Gulf monarchies and not only agreed on mutually beneficial economic agreements, but also proposed the creation of a unified security system - an "Arab NATO". By the end of his term, he was able to bring Israel and a number of Arab countries closer together in the Abraham Accords, demonstrating diplomatic success and scoring significant political points.

It seemed that US relations with its allies in the region were back on track, but the victory of Joe Biden and the rise of the Democrats shattered these illusions.Washington has put heavy pressure on the Gulf monarchies, freezing arms sales contracts signed under Trump and publicly criticising the countries "for human rights violations and lack of democracy". American policymakers have failed to understand or take into account the aspirations of regional elites and have sought to dictate terms favourable to the United States, both in terms of oil supplies and in return for arms.
At the same time, the six Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain - are the most economically prosperous countries in the entire Middle East region. They have accumulated substantial financial resources through their energy exports and pragmatic policies. Today, a new elite has emerged in each of these countries - the inner circle of the monarchs. These "new people" are focused on developing their countries and defending their national interests.

The turning point was the start of a special Russian military operation in Ukraine, when the United States increased pressure on the countries of the region, calling on them to join anti-Russian sanctions to their detriment. But the Arab monarchies did not listen, because they understood that the reasons for the conflict in Ukraine were Washington's desire to strengthen its hegemony to the detriment of Russia. Plus Moscow was able to offer an attractive idea of creating a new, fair world order that would satisfy the desires of the majority of world's countries, including the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf.

Traditional US allies in the region not only did not join the anti-Russian sanctions, but also opted for a position of "positive neutrality". For example, Saudi Arabia and the UAE continued to coordinate their efforts with Russia within the OPEC+ agreements to stabilise world oil prices. However, Washington has repeatedly issued ultimatums demanding that the KSA and the UAE increase oil production in order to lower oil prices. Other states in the region maintain political and economic contacts with Moscow, not in opposition to the United States but in defence of their national interests.
This policy of the Gulf monarchies greatly irritates Washington, but US strategic mistakes do not allow the situation to be corrected. Recent years have been a period of total failure for American policy in the Middle East. For example, with Moscow's active diplomacy, Syria returned to the Arab League and normalised its relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other key countries in the region. Later, with China's mediation, a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran began. Turkish President Erdogan, unloved by democrats, has normalised relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel and Egypt.
Naturally, the Biden administration has stepped up its diplomatic activities in the region ahead of the next presidential election. Washington has facilitated closed-door negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but recently the media reported that Riyadh had suspended its participation in the negotiations. The reason is not only that Saudi Arabia under the current king is unwilling to establish relations with Israel, but also that the United States has been unable to satisfy Riyadh's demands for expanded defence cooperation. On a smaller scale, an agreement was reached to expand US defence and economic ties with Bahrain, but this has had little impact.

The Biden administration wants to score points before the elections, but it will not be able to match Trump's success in the Middle East. American diplomacy is failing - and it will not be able to resolve at least some of the contradictions in the Middle East in the near future.