In the Middle East, Joe Biden tarnishes his image as "big boss of democracies"

US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, on the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, July 16, 2022. AFP - MANDEL NGAN

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3 mins

Military and economic cooperation, rediscovered dialogue with the Gulf partners, these are the main lines of the new vision of the American administration for the region.

For the rest, Joe Biden had to deny himself and leave behind his principles to mark the return of the United States to the Middle East.

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Farewell to the great speeches on human rights and make way for photos with Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salman, designated by American intelligence as the sponsor of the execution of

journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In the Gulf, Joe Biden had to renounce some of his principles and put behind him his promises to make Saudi Arabia a pariah.

It must be said that some of the American president's domestic political problems could be settled in Riyadh.

Convincing the Gulf monarchies to produce more oil would help curb soaring prices, and thus restore purchasing power to Americans.

At the end of Saturday's meetings in Riyadh, no such agreement was announced, just the American president spoke of fruitful discussions with the Saudis and promised concrete results in a few weeks.

Promises far from trivial if prices were to drop at the pump in the United States, less than four months before the mid-term elections where the president records a low popularity rating.

► To read also: 

End of visit for Biden in the Middle East, where he tried to reassert American influence

The American press does not mince its words

In the American media, Joe Biden's tour was somewhat overshadowed by his meeting with Saudi Prince Ben Salman, reports our New York correspondent,

Loubna Anaki.

The photo, the image comes back again and again: Joe Biden doing a fist “check” with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

A simply shameful exchange for the boss of the

Washington Post

, whose journalist

Kamal Khashoggi

was assassinated, probably on the orders of Mohammed bin Salman.

The daily believes that this gesture not only implies " 

intimacy and closeness between the two men, but above all gives the Saudi leader legitimacy

 ".

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 'checks' US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. VIA REUTERS - BANDAR ALGALOUD

For its part, the

New York Times

believes that this trip to Saudi Arabia has above all demonstrated that, in the face of political realism, Joe Biden could not keep his promises of a return to diplomacy based on democratic values.

“ 

Joe Biden's foreign policy has no clear doctrine,

writes the daily, 

and his room for maneuver is limited to the Middle East

.

»

For the American media, the president was aware that his trip would not be unanimous, but hoped that the fallout, in particular for the drop in oil prices, would be enough to justify any compromise and to restore, even a little, his image with Americans.

Something that is not yet won.

A very latest poll shows that two-thirds of Democratic voters

do not want Biden to run again.

For Tehran, Washington seeks to create tension in the region



The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has denounced the false accusations of the American president against the nuclear program of his country, reports our correspondent in Tehran,

Siavosh Ghazi.


" 

These groundless accusations are a continuation of Washington's seditious policy and its desire to create tension in the region

 ," said Nasser Kanani.


During Joe Biden's visit to Israel, Iranian political and military officials had already warned the United States and the Jewish state against any military action, saying that Tehran will respond in the harshest way.


In both Israel and Saudi Arabia, President Biden has declared that the United States will not allow Iran to develop atomic weapons.

However, he felt that military action against Tehran's nuclear program was the last option and that diplomacy should be preferred.


While nuclear negotiations to revive the 2015 agreement are at an impasse, Iran is relentlessly developing its nuclear program by installing increasingly modern devices to achieve 20 or 60% enrichment.


According to Washington, Tehran has enough highly enriched uranium for a first bomb.

To this must be added the ballistic program and the numerous drones built by Iran which worry the United States and their allies.




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  • United States

  • Joe Biden

  • Human rights

  • Oil

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Mohammad bin Salman