War of words that rocked U.S.-Saudi ties cools as oil steadies

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are looking beyond last year’s oil spat to focus on billions of dollars-worth of defense and aviation deals and other areas of diplomacy to repair a previously strong alliance.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week is the latest sign of improving relations, with collaboration also under way on Sudan, Ukraine and space. The U.S. will add a senior diplomatic role to help boost integration in the Middle East, Blinken said Monday.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has expressed eagerness to repair ties with Riyadh, once one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East. That marks a change from the rancor in October, when the OPEC+ cartel of oil producers — led by the Saudis and Russia — decided to cut output, triggering higher prices a month before U.S. mid-terms in which inflation was a key issue.