Cutting oil and a Russian base .. Saudi threats ahead of the resolution of the Khashoggi case

Saudi writer Turki al-Dakhil, who is close to the authorities in Riyadh, talked about 30 measures Saudi Arabia is considering to take if it is sanctioned by the United States, without mentioning the background of these possible sanctions that come in the context of the disappearance of citizen journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Al-Dakhil, who is also the director of Al-Arabiya TV and a close associate of the crown prince, published an article explaining "what is going on in the corridors of Saudi decision-making," minutes after a statement by the official news agency SPA said that the kingdom would respond to any action Against it by a larger measure.

"I read the Saudi government's statement in response to the American thesis on sanctions against Saudi Arabia," said the article, published on Al-Arabiya website on Sunday.

Cutting oil supplies
"If the price of $ 80 per barrel has angered President (Donald) Trump, no one will be excluded," he said, adding that Saudi Arabia may not be committed to producing 7.5 million barrels of oil a day. That the price jump to $ 100 and $ 200 and perhaps twice that figure. "

Believing in the arms of Iran
Al-Dakhil said that the imposition of US sanctions "will smash the Middle East, but the Islamic world in the arms of Iran, which will be closer to Riyadh than Washington."

"Close cooperation in information between Riyadh, America and the West will become part of the past," he said.

The writer said that Western sanctions may push Saudi Arabia to "other options, President Trump himself said a few days ago, that Russia and China are alternatives ready to meet Riyadh's military and other needs."

Russian base of Tabuk
Dakhil added that he did not rule out the establishment of a Russian military base in Tabuk, northwest of the kingdom, "in the hot area of ​​the square of Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Iraq" and that the Palestinian Hamas movement and the Lebanese Hezbollah "from two enemies to two friends."

Arms deals and investments
The writer also pointed out that Saudi Arabia would stop buying weapons from the United States and liquidate its assets and investments with the US government of $ 800 billion, he said, and deprive the United States of the Saudi market.

"The fact that Washington is imposing sanctions on Riyadh will stifle its economy in a killing and it thinks it is only challenging Riyadh," he said.

The article did not include any mention of Khashoggi's disappearance, which preoccupied world public opinion and prompted the US president to threaten Riyadh with "severe punishment" if it proves to be involved in the case.

The statement issued by the SPA earlier this week attributed to the "official source" said that the Kingdom "confirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine them either by waving economic sanctions or the use of political pressure or repeating false accusations."

"The Kingdom affirms that if it receives any action, it will respond with greater action and that the Kingdom's economy has an influential and vital role in the global economy."

The Saudi source said that his country is subjected to a "campaign of false allegations and allegations" and that it "appreciates the voices of the wise people around the world who have overcome wisdom, deliberation and the search for truth instead of rushing and seeking to exploit rumors and accusations to achieve goals and agendas unrelated to the search for truth."

Although the statement referred to accusations against Saudi Arabia, that official did not explicitly state the case of Khashoggi's disappearance and international claims of his fate.

The Saudi officials, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, confirmed that Khashoggi left the consulate in Istanbul minutes after entering on October 2, and said that the consular cameras do not keep recorded footage, so his departure can not be confirmed.

But Turkish and international media quoted Turkish security sources as saying that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate by a Saudi team who then cut off his body.