Last week, Iran held a fifth round of talks with Saudi Arabia, in what appears to be an attempt by the two archenemies to settle their differences. The United States, meanwhile, is frustrated with Riyadh’s refusal to increase its petroleum production to make up for Russian oil being taken off the market due to the war in Ukraine. In conversation with Michael Doran and Marshall Kosloff, Mohammed Khalid Alyahya explains that in both cases the kingdom is hedging its bets, concluding from Washington’s behavior over the past decade that America is simply not a reliable ally. Alyahya, elaborating on a recent column, argues that the Saudis want nothing more than to be brought back into the American fold, and to see the U.S. take a firm stand against Iran and its strategy of sowing chaos and creating endless wars throughout the Middle East. (Audio, 43 minutes.)
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