Making friends

This refers to the news report, ‘Cut oil supply or lose US military support, Trump told Saudis’ (May 1). According to the report, in an April 2 phone call, Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman that unless Opec started cutting oil production, he would be powerless to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw US troops from the kingdom. Also, the week before Trump’s phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed, US Republican Senators Kevin Cramer and Dan Sullivan had introduced legislation to remove all US troops, Patriot missiles and anti-missile defence systems from the kingdom unless Saudi Arabia cut oil output.

The above shows clearly the unreliability of dependence on a country like the US, which threatens to withdraw its protective shield on the slightest hint of harm to its commercial interests. Iran has often expressed its intention for peaceful relations with Saudi Arabia; Pakistan can bring the two Muslim countries together. Various problems between Saudi Arabia and Iran, like in Yemen, can also be solved through mutual consultation. So, I think MBS would do well to take constructive and permanent measures for the defence of his country, like reducing or rather eliminating needless animosity with Iran.

S R H Hashmi

Karachi