In Context: U.S.-Saudi Ties Under Strain

First is a dispute over the July ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the subsequent crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia backed Morsi’s removal and is supporting the current efforts to isolate the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement Saudi Arabia views as a threat to its interests. The United States has argued for a more inclusive and pluralistic way forward and tried to stop the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Second, the two countries have major tactical disagreements on the way forward in Syria. Both want to see President Bashar al-Assad leave the scene, but Saudi Arabia has been disillusioned by the Obama administration’s reticence to become deeply engaged militarily in Syria. The U.S.-Russia deal on securing chemical weapons still under discussion put the brakes on possible U.S. military strikes, disappointing the Saudis.