The American economy’s chronic addiction to cheap oil is obvious. Less well known is the story of when that addiction began and why the United States became so reliant in particular on Saudi Arabia for its continued goodwill and cooperation. The same is true of America’s toxic relationship with Iran. The two countries have been at each other’s throats for so long now that it seems hard to believe they were ever allies—let alone partners in a secret contingency plan to invade Saudi Arabia and seize its oil wealth. Until these tensions are resolved, and until both countries come to terms with their complicated shared history, it seems inevitable that the tree of American-Iranian relations will bear poisoned fruit for many years to come.
"The Oil Kings: How the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia Changed the Balance of Power in the Middle East"
ReplyDeleteby Andrew Scott Cooper
Henry Kissinger had feared the day when Saudi Arabia would use its oil power as leverage to influence U.S. foreign policy toward Israel and Iran. Saudi Arabia provided the United States with 25 percent of its imported petroleum and had $40 billion invested in the domestic American economy. This was in stark contrast to Iran, which by December 1976 provided the United States with only 5 percent of its imported oil.
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