{"id":1410526,"date":"2022-03-30T14:30:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T18:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1410526"},"modified":"2022-03-30T14:30:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T18:30:18","slug":"blinken-tries-to-win-back-gulf-states-as-houthis-threaten-world-oil-supply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinken-tries-to-win-back-gulf-states-as-houthis-threaten-world-oil-supply\/","title":{"rendered":"Blinken Tries to Win Back Gulf States as Houthis Threaten World Oil Supply"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblinken-tries-to-win-back-gulf-states-as-houthis-threaten-world-oil-supply%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1410526&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to mend President Joe Biden\u2019s increasingly strained relationship with Gulf states on Tuesday in a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince\u00a0Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, following a conversation with Saudi\u00a0Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have both expressed increasing frustration with the Biden administration\u2019s failure to address the potential global implications of the seven-year-old Yemeni civil war, which overflowed into Saudi Arabia last week as the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization bombed oil facilities belonging to the Saudi state oil corporation Aramco. Saudi officials have repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/03\/22\/saudis-warn-global-oil-supply-jeopardy-iran-backed-houthi-attacks\/\">warned<\/a> that Houthi attacks on oil assets could threaten the global fuel supply at a time in which the war between Russia and Ukraine has triggered shortages and record-high prices.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>The Houthi movement is a Shiite jihadist organization that seized Yemen\u2019s capital, Sana\u2019a, at the onset of the civil war. Human rights groups have accused the Houthis of blocking shipments of food and other critical aid to the country, prompting what has rapidly become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/03\/17\/unicef-victims-yemen-war-famine-increase-five-fold-june\/\">famine<\/a>. The Houthis fight under the slogan \u201cAllahu Akbar, Death to America, Death to Israel, a Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/revocation-of-the-terrorist-designations-of-ansarallah\/\">stripped<\/a> the Houthis of their Foreign Terrorist Organization designation as one of his first acts in office last year, greatly expanding their ability to access \u201chumanitarian\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/us-yemen-envoy-lenderking-visit-gulf-london-state-department-2022-01-19\/\">funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to this week\u2019s Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting, Saudi Arabia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/middle-east\/2022\/03\/29\/saudi-arabia-hikes-oil-prices-ahead-of-opec-meeting\/\">raised<\/a>\u00a0its oil prices yet again, apparently rejecting pleas from Biden to both produce more oil and lower prices. The Gulf states, especially UAE, have also ignored Biden\u2019s calls to marginalize Russia in light of the Ukraine war. Biden\u2019s ban on importing Russian oil to the United States, alongside \u201cgreen\u201d energy policies that limit domestic production, have led to severe gas price increases in America.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>As recently as three weeks ago, anonymously sourced reports <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2022\/mar\/09\/saudi-arabia-and-uae-leaders-decline-calls-with-biden-amid-fears-of-oil-price-spike\">indicated<\/a> that Saudi and Emirati leaders were simply refusing to schedule phone calls with Biden officials.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken met with\u00a0Abu Dhabi Crown Prince bin Zayed on Tuesday in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-travel\/travel-to-israel-the-west-bank-morocco-and-algeria-march-26-30-2022\/\">Morocco<\/a>, one of three stops on his ongoing Middle East and North Africa tour. The tour notably omitted visits to the UAE or Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Secretary reaffirmed the countries\u2019 close partnership and reviewed ways to broaden and deepen wide-ranging cooperation. The Secretary underscored that we remain committed to helping the UAE defend itself against threats stemming from Yemen and elsewhere in the region,\u201d State Department spokesman Ned Price <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-blinkens-meeting-with-crown-prince-of-abu-dhabi-sheikh-mohammed-bin-zayed\/\">relayed<\/a> in a statement. \u201cHe welcomed the UAE\u2019s support for a truce leading to a ceasefire in Yemen and reiterated that the only path to a durable peace is through dialogue and diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Saudi news outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/News\/middle-east\/2022\/03\/29\/Oil-Iran-Ukraine-top-agenda-as-Blinken-meets-UAE-leader\">Al Arabiya<\/a> noted that, during the public part of the encounter, Blinken told bin Zayed that America was \u201cdetermined to do everything we can to help you defend yourselves effectively against\u201d the Houthi threat from neighboring Yemen.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department also emphasized that Blinken attempted to focus the meeting on \u201cPutin\u2019s unjustified war against the people of Ukraine,\u201d though it did not list any particular response from bin Zayed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Blinken\u2019s phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal, according to another statement from Price, similarly featured a commitment to help protect against Houthi threats, but no specifics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Secretary\u00a0reiterated the U.S.\u00a0commitment to bolstering Saudi Arabia\u2019s defenses against threats in the region\u00a0and emphasized the importance of\u00a0protecting civilians in Yemen,\u201d the State Department spokesman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-blinkens-call-with-saudi-foreign-minister-prince-faisal-bin-farhan-al-saud-5\/\">said<\/a>, adding that Blinken demanded of Saudi Arabia a \u201cmore inclusive and comprehensive peace process,\u201d without elaborating.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Al Arabiya <a href=\"https:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/News\/middle-east\/2022\/03\/29\/Oil-Iran-Ukraine-top-agenda-as-Blinken-meets-UAE-leader\">indicated<\/a> extreme frustration with the Biden administration in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh\u00a0 that appeared to impede conversations with officials from both countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWashington\u2019s Arab allies chafe at what they see as declining US commitment to security in their region in the face of Iranian involvement in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon which has nudged them into common cause with former arch-foe Israel,\u201d the Saudi outlet reported. \u201cGulf states have for years been frustrated at what they see as US inaction in confronting Iran\u2019s role in the region, but their concerns have grown since Joe Biden became president 14 months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with Moroccan media on Tuesday, Blinken sidestepped addressing those frustrations directly. Asked if \u201cthe relations between the United States and the Gulf countries are at their highest,\u201d Blinken offered an indirect answer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe have partnerships that have existed for many years, and those partnerships are essential and important to us, not only in terms of security issues, but the future of our countries as well,\u201d Blinken <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-antony-j-blinken-with-khadija-ihsane-of-medi-1-tv\/\">replied<\/a>, according to a State Department transcript of the exchange. \u201cI think it was an important time as well to not only strengthen those partnerships, but to strengthen the idea that the United States is invested in those partnerships. This is the message that I wanted to convey to my colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Urgency around the Houthi terrorists\u2019 potential impact on global gasoline supplies skyrocketed last week after the group claimed responsibility for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/yemens-houthis-attacked-aramco-facilities-ras-tanura-rabigh-refineries-spokesman-2022-03-25\/\">bombing<\/a>\u00a0several Saudi cities featuring oil storage and refining facilities. One of the attacks, in Jeddah, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/03\/25\/fireball-consumes-oil-facility-as-houthis-launch-terror-campaign-deep-in-saudi-arabia\/\">occurred<\/a> on an Aramco facility near the\u00a0Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, prompting civilian panic. The attacks followed a similar series of bombings against civilian oil facilities throughout <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/03\/24\/gulf-states-accuse-houthis-targeting-oil-tankers-intensify-fuel-crisis\/\">March<\/a>. Gulf states have also accused the Houthis of targeting oil tankers to intensify global fuel concerns.<\/p>\n<p>The attacks, a Saudi government source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/middle-east\/2022\/03\/21\/iran-backed-houthis-attack-saudi-oil-facilities-slowing-refinery-output-amid-global-crisis\/\">told<\/a> the state outlet SPA last week, \u201cwill affect the kingdom\u2019s production capacity and its ability to fulfill its obligations, which undoubtedly threatens the security and stability of energy supplies to global markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt goes without saying that if this security supply is impacted, it will impact us \u2026 but more fundamentally, I think it also will affect the world economy,\u201d Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/wireStory\/saudi-oil-chief-energy-security-imperiled-attacks-83735393\">conceded<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Follow Frances Martel on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1648662566630000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2DdbYOz8hTWTeldObpB9Rg\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1648662566630000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3WJ5ie1hNk7atppLetLA2K\">Twitter.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to mend President Joe Biden\u2019s increasingly strained relationship with Gulf states on Tuesday in a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince\u00a0Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1410526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1410526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1410526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1410526\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1410526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1410526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1410526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}