I think America, and Israel for that matter, should never have allied themselves with that corrupt, authoritarian, murderous regime. Saudi Arabia has been involved in conflicts and wars with Yemen for decades, however, and it is not a few child soldiers or other illegal mercenaries that are going to resolve it once and for all.
First you tell us to make friends with our neighbors, and then you tell us our neighbors suck? Sheesh.
I mean, it is too late to re-write history. I do not suggest that Israel should be or have been at war against Saudi Arabia, though.
OK, dumb question, but here it is. For oil heading east to Asia and Oceania, why not just ship through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, and then around Africa? Yes, it’s longer, and people in India, Australia, Japan, etc. will pay higher prices, but if that’s what needs to be done, then do it.
The big oil/gas fields are mostly on the Persian Gulf side, and the pipe across Saudi-A is (a) not made to carry it all and (b) itself in shooting range.
There used to be a major pipeline that led from the Gulf through Iraq and Jordan and ending up at the port of Haifa on the Mediterranean, in what’s now Israel. It went out of commission circa 1948 or so.
And (c) has, in fact, been shot. An Iranian-allied militia in Iraq attacked it with drones. It’ll be out of commission for about 5 weeks.
Which is a great example of the difference in philosophy between the two combatants. Iran has spent DECADES building up decentralized support throughout the region. The current US leadership decided that we could show up with an aircraft carrier and some missiles and intimidate the Iranians into surrendering. No groundwork, no coalition building, just shock and awe. Tom Clancy level geopolitik.
You know…morons.
Nor a spoken one, for that matter.
This is a good point. We’re used to thinking of the issue of “where is the oil coming from?” But to the local regimes, the issue is “where is the oil going to?” Saudi Arabia is feeling as much economic pressure due to not being able to send the oil as other countries are feeling due to not being able to receive it.
I wonder, is Trump one of those people who lack an internal monolog? It would explain why it always sounds like everything that comes out of his mouth has just now occurred to him.
Yeah but Iran’s weird random attacks on the Saudis and other neighboring nations has made it pretty hated in that area.
Iran was already hated. But now they’ve shown they can put pressure on Saudi Arabia, even when they are being attacked by Israel and the United States.
And over on the other side of the water there was no love lost for the Arab states by the Iranians.
That’s because they are always so superior: ‘Don’t call us Arab, we’re Persian!’
Are you talking about the Persian Gulf? I will note that Arabic Wikipedia does call it the Arabian Gulf, Persian Wikipedia not so much.
Despite all the previous lessons we should have learned, we started a war in the Middle East because Trump actually believed he could manipulate those people as easily as he manipulates his fellow Americans. Now, we are paying for it politically as well as economically. Unless someone has a better solution, we’re going to have to implement a military initiative.
It doesn’t matter if someone has a better solution or not (I certainly don’t), because Trump is going to do whatever he wants to do, regardless of whether or not a better solution is available.
I’d like to tell you that you are wrong, but the last 10 years have shown that you are not. 
The problem with any diplomatic settlement is Trump. I think all parties are aware he can’t be relied on. Even if a deal was worked out and everyone, including Trump, agreed to the terms, he would change his mind a week later and declare he’s decided not to follow the terms.