It’s Time to Cut Off Arms Sales to the Saudi Regime

Last month’s decision by the members of OPEC+ to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day sparked outrage in Washington. Prominent Democrats were furious, arguing that Saudi Arabia sought higher oil prices in order to weaken US-led sanctions on Russian fossil fuels, and also to benefit Republicans by inflating the cost of gasoline before the midterms.

The Saudis insisted that the production cut merely reflected an effort to prevent a future dip in oil prices and denied any intent to fill Vladimir Putin’s war chest or doom the Democrats’ electoral chances.

As it turns out, Democrats did better than expected in the November 8 voting. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia’s conduct should still spur Congress to take action to reevaluate the US-Saudi partnership.

Of particular importance: pressure to end Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the brutal war in Yemen, which has continued for over seven years at the cost of nearly 400,000 lives. Following the recent expiration of the UN-brokered truce, Saudi Arabia could decide to restart air strikes, which it conducts with US assistance.

Read the full piece in The Nation.