Saudi Arabia is counting on its extensive contacts in US military circles and its $2 million-a-year PR operation to weather the worst crisis in relations with Washington since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
President Barack Obama’s dual decisions to forgo airstrikes on Syria and commit to nuclear negotiations with Tehran have infuriated Saudi leaders eager to curtail Iranian influence in the region. Over the past year, they’ve been arguing in both public and private that the White House must be more assertive.
