The tough talk in the US against the Islamic state of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) with the current republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spewing hatred against Syrian refugees seems to have taken a U-turn with the Shia-Sunni divide throwing a spanner into the works. The traditional alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia has taken a hit. The Obama administration had suddenly spotted the fundamental contradictions in its relationship with Saudi Arabia. The execution of the Shia leader of al-Qaida terrorists, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has exacerbated relations further. The US usually looked the other way or issued calibrated warnings when the Saudi royal family violated human rights. Saudi Arabia was Washington’s most dependable filling station, a regular supplier of intelligence and a valuable counterweight to Iran. The accord between Iran and the US and the EU led to a phased lifting of sanctions on Teheran following the civilian nuclear energy deal.
American oil production is surging. The mutual dependency between the US and Saudi Arabia which goes back to the early 1930s is now fractured. In 2011, Saudi leaders attacked President Obama for not supporting former president Hosni Mobarak of Egypt. US secretary of state John Cary had apparently warned against the execution of Nimr al-nimr. It seems the proposed Saudi alliance against the ISIS and al-Qaida is now under US scanner. Priorities have now gone mixed up. At the same time, the US is in a tizzy over Iran unveiling a new underground nuclear missile depot. There is a real challenge for the Obama administration and the EU plan to lift sanctions on Teheran. India has to watch every move with an open mind.