Saudi Arabia and the United States are currently facing tensions that can only be understood against a long history of power imbalance between Riyadh and Washington. During the 1973 oil crisis, the U.S. considered military plans to seize Saudi oil fields if Arab sanctions continued—plans that were never executed but underscored the importance of energy security.
The 2019 attacks on Aramco facilities revealed the limits of U.S. security guarantees, as Washington did not respond militarily to what it attributed to Iran. The 2026 conflict further convinced Riyadh that relying solely on the U.S. for security is insufficient.
Today, Saudi Arabia is moving toward a more independent security policy, seeking a balance in its relations with regional and global powers. The key question remains: what value does a security alliance hold if it cannot prevent attacks or deter crises effectively?