Saudi Defense Minister in a Rare Visit to Iran: How Concerned is Saudi Arabia? Geopolitical Trends!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Excited to be with you as always. Let me have a sip of water quick here, this way I won't have to bother with it. Anyway, very, very excited, uh, to be with you. I am going to be providing you my own analysis about the recent visit of the Saudi Defense Minister to Iran, which by the way, it has been forever since a high-ranking official from Saudi Arabia visited Iran. So this is what I'm gonna be dealing with you. And of course, all this falls within the context of what I talked about yesterday regarding the recent US-Iran nuclear talks that took place in Rome. And by the way, guys, just to let you know, The talks were held at the Embassy of Oman in Rome. It's not because of the government of Italy, no, it's at the Embassy of Oman in Rome, in Italy. That's what it was. So, so this is what I'm going to be, uh, addressing for you today, but I'm going to do two headlines, key ones that you need to know about, then I'll dive in into my own analysis. But first, let me say quick hi to our wonderful community. As always, Truth Seeker, good to see you. Hangin' G, good afternoon to you as well. Peng Yu, Athene Wu, Sang Tan, good to see you. Francis Tango, as always. Who else is— uh, John Smith, good to see you. Tom Sires, good to see you. Uh, Creo the Traveler, good to see you. I like that screen name. So it's showing right here. No, not this one. What is it? Right here. There we go. So interesting. History Discover, that's a good one too. Isabel, good to see you. Alex Talukin, as always. Timeline Dunkley, good to see you. And guess who is visiting us from India? This was— good to see you here, man. It's good to have viewers from India. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be talking about, uh, Narendra Modi's visit to the Middle East. So, uh, Yanis, good to see you. Cecil, as always. So All right, let's get into our, uh, headlines here quickly. Uh, first of all, I want to share a picture with you, uh, to follow up on what I talked about yesterday. You remember this picture, right, about Merckx, right? Well, guess what? Just yesterday there were demonstrations in Morocco at the port of Casablanca. It's a major port. And why they were demonstrating there is because the people want the ship to go. And the reason, because the demonstrators, the Moroccan, that chanted during the demonstrations that took place on Sunday protesting the docking of ships suspected of transporting equipment for the maintenance of F-35 fighter jets used in the Israeli aggression in Gaza. So, so just to— wanted to once again, uh, because Merck's company saying, oh, this is just an allegation, It is in the different parts of the world. So second headline I want to share with you quickly here, and I'll move into my own discussion here. It has to do with the Prime Minister of India, uh, Narendra Modi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia. So, and, and, and again, I'm glad we have, uh, one viewers from India. And when I criticize India, I don't mean it in a negative way. It's a positive, uh, it's a constructive, uh, criticism. That is because It really sad to see that the Indian people, you know, are suffering because of the few elites that controls the government, whatever. So, but again, it's their country, they can decide whatever. For me, I provide the objective facts, the analysis, and I'll let you decide. So anyway, Prime Minister, uh, uh, Narendra Modi is in Saudi Arabia, that is, to begin, to begin his third visit to Saudis. Yeah, read between the lines. Of course Modi's office is going to say, well, we are here to strengthen the relationship and convene the Strategic Partnership Council of the two countries. Are you gonna enter into strategic partnership with India? I mean, let's face it, let's be honest about it. So, but here is one of the key things I need you to understand, and if you look at the picture there You know who welcomed India to the airport in Jeddah? It was none other than the deputy governor. Now that tells you again of the level of how India is perceived inside Saudi Arabia. And that is what to me was like an eye-opener as to the timing of it, why Mr. Modi is going there. But this comes on the heels of one particular key topic which is— I am going to be addressing, probably will have to reach out to Mr. Jayant Bahndari and deal with this. And this one has to do with India imposing— get this, guys— India is imposing now 12% tariffs on steel to limit cheap imports from China. Basically, they put in the tariffs to get back at China. And yet I question Why India wasn't able to retaliate against the US when we impose tariffs on them? And it just, it tells you, right? It tells you the story right there, uh, to me, why India is playing both sides. I never trusted India as being part of the, uh, uh, BRICS. And as a matter of fact, one of our avid supporters, Matt Bakke, wrote, uh, in his, uh, on his account, on, on Twitter, and I, because he follows me there, and I read it. He wrote, and I quote here, when Dr. O called India untrustworthy for the past few years, now we can see why. And all this is just when the US VP, Vice President J.D. Vance, is visiting India with his family. Uh, Matt continues saying, this is exactly what I have learned from your channel about 2 years ago when you had fintech specialists like Richard Turin, if I remember correctly, on your show. Just wanna say, when it comes to analysis, you and your guests are about 2 years ahead of others. Most don't understand your analysis at that time, but a year or 2 later, when it becomes more of a general talking points of other analysts, then they all pretend that they had light bulb moments. Doc, you are on another level, end of quote. Thank you very much, Matt. And, and it's testimony to why I'm saying always, guys, if you really want to support the channel, it is your opportunity to subscribe, because this is exactly— if you like the videos, if you like the analysis that I am providing on all the— one thing you can do, don't be just a watcher. Don't be just a viewer. Go ahead and subscribe and share the channel with others so they will have an opportunity to hear the truth like you do. So the choice is yours, and I'm very, very grateful for your support. So, all right, let's get into our analysis here as to the visit of the Saudi defense minister. Uh, I have a picture for you guys right here. This is Prince Khalid bin Salman. Now To those who might not know, he does have a little bit of background in the military, nothing substantial. You know, you attend schools here, he got some security certificate from Harvard, and you all know what it means because the Saudi donates money to Harvard, by the way, just FYI. Uh, and he got another, uh, uh, to continue his studies, uh, master's level, but he didn't finish it, uh, at Georgetown. Georgetown is the back— Georgetown University is in Washington, is the back door of the US government. So just to let you know, but, uh, as to the military training, he doesn't have much. Uh, he did some, uh, uh, studies on avionics. Uh, he did— was part of the Air Force, but nothing major as far as, uh, uh, to qualify him to be a defense minister. The reason he is in that position is because that's how the Saudi monarchy give the key possessions to the royal family members so they can keep control of the kingdom. And I am going to be providing you some excerpt from my book that I wrote about the Saudis, and we'll just go from there. In any event, he visited, uh, Saudi Arabia— uh, he visited Iran, I'm sorry— which was, uh, 2 days or a day before the talks in Rome. But that's not about that. The question is, how concerned is Saudi Arabia? It's because you don't tell me you haven't visited the country over a decade plus, all of a sudden you're going to visit Iran. And remember, just because China brokered the deal, sort of the diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, doesn't mean they see eye to eye. No. And this is what prompted me to consider What is the possibility of the visit for the defense minister? It's considered a high-ranking, uh, position, uh, uh, in Saudi Arabia. So, so when you consider West Asia as a whole, the landscape, the geopolitical landscape there is shifting and is shifting rapidly. Saudis are losing that influence they once had back in the '70s and early '80s. So, and this is why when you see a surprising development— that caught sort of the whole attention of the international observers. It's within this context when you're gonna see the Saudi trip to Iran because Iran has always been viewed by the Saudis as the archenemy. Of course, we, the U.S. government, have contributed to that because we always wanted to maintain the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. I mean, if it weren't for China, the tensions will ever continue because we always, as one who traveled on a formal capacity to Saudi Arabia when I was still working in Washington, it was always the argument that was made to the Saudi government, we need to provide you with weapons for the future to protect your security and safety and so forth. That was always the argument. So And this is why, uh, we start to think in terms— is the Saudis want to cozy up to Iran because they know how strong Iran is? And Iran will not hesitate to target any country where US launches its attack from. Why? The Iranians have made it clear. So it's public information. Iran stated that any country that will allow its territory to be used as a launching pad against Iran will become a target. That means they will be considered as an aggressor. So, and this is why you have to understand the intricacies and complicated relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran. I wrote a book on each one of them. If you get a chance to read it, uh, so you will really— because I tackled the history aspects of it. And that will make more sense to you to understand exactly where things are. So without understanding that historical background, things will not make sense to you. But we're going to have to think in terms of contemporary geopolitical timeframe. So this is not the '70s anymore. So because you have to think now from the diplomatic overture to economic cooperation, You know, you're gonna have to start to understand the Saudi-Iranian relations and what might portend for the balance of power in the region. Because we always wanted to advocate for the Saudis being the linchpin of the policies in West Asia. Not anymore. So not anymore. And this is why when you think about the idea of the Saudi defense minister visiting or delivering a message to the— from the Saudi king, King Abdulaziz— King Salman bin Abdulaziz, I'm sorry. It was a personal message from the king. The king's still alive, by the way. He's sick, but he's still alive. So, and it was delivered to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This is a picture, and I give credit to Anadolu Agency. That's a picture of Tejdeh. So when you deliver a message and to be granted an audience with the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, that says a lot as to where things are headed. So of course, Khamenei, Supreme Leader, said that the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia sort of will be beneficial to both countries, and rightly so. So, and I'm not saying otherwise, except that you have to understand personally, and this is my personal opinion, I would not trust the Saudis no matter what they say. So it's because they could give a lip service to the Iranians and turn around. And here is the reason why you need to understand, and once again, geography comes to play a major role into all this when You look at the map of West Asia, look where Iran is, look where Iraq is, and look where Saudi Arabia is, okay? Then you're gonna look where Israel is. So which airspace do you think Israel will have to use? What do you guys think? Is it the airspace of Iraq? Is it the airspace of Saudi Arabia? Is it the airspace of Jordan? Or is it the airspace of United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and all that? So, and because it's a reality that we need to— we cannot ignore, uh, we cannot ignore, uh, you're gonna have to go over the airspace of one country or another. That's just simple. Even if you have your, uh, your, your B-2 coming out of Guam still going to have— yes, it's going to be coming from the other side, but still, still you're going to need more than just that because, uh, uh, a B-2 can be targeted from a distance. So I'm not surprised. And this is why you have to put, uh, this, uh, uh, a concept of the visit within its proper, uh, context. So, uh, Khamenei, by the way, which he has an account on Twitter or X. He did post there, and I remember, I wish I would have kept a copy for you guys, uh, that he, he put there, he wrote down there that expanding relations with the Saudis have, has enemies, and that hostile motives must be overcome. And this is where he expressed, meaning Khamenei expressed Tehran's readiness to do so in cooperating with the Saudis. But can you trust the Saudis? Because the Saudis will be under the pressure of the US. So on the other hand, for the Saudi part, the Saudi defense minister said that his meeting with the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reviewed, sort of reviewed the bilateral relations and discuss issues and topics. I just don't buy all this. This is nothing but Harar. Why? Because here is why. If really Saudis care about really the dynamics that's taking place in the region, let's start with the Gaza issue. So why the Saudis couldn't even condemn whatever was taking place and still taking place in Gaza? Why Jordan didn't? United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco. You, you, you got the idea, guys. Even Iraq, even Lebanon. So who do you have? The country that is standing up is Yemen. And that leads me to my next point about could the Saudis go into Iran to ask Iran to talk to the Houthis? Because Saudis are concerned about the capabilities of the Houthis. Remember And I disclosed this before, Saudis fought the Houthis with an army of Arab countries and they couldn't defeat them. And I remember I shared the, uh, when I, uh, told you I did a presentation about this and I disclosed to you the list of countries, the Arab countries that participated in that war. So, and this is why you have to think in terms of what is the meaning of this. Then there is another alternative or another possibility of thinking, which could be, could it be that the US asked the Saudis to do so in asking Iran to talk to the Houthis to sort of reduce their attacks on the USS aircraft carrier and the taking down of drones? I want to rule that out. I want to rule that out knowing how these dynamics work. We might not ask the Iranians directly because we are in no position. And second, you're gonna have to consider that Iran does not control the Houthis. Yeah, no matter what you hear, yes, it is supporting Houthis, but it does not control it. Another word is the Houthis' decision when they want to attack the USS aircraft carrier, they don't wait for green light from Iran. When they decide to take down the MQ-9, they don't ask for green light from Iran. They are independent, and so far they proved it. This is why we have concerns about the targeting of the USS aircraft. That's what the Houthis are able to do. Yeah, and we couldn't, we couldn't defeat them. We just couldn't. And that is where I'm leaning to more towards that aspect of could the South— the US behind closed doors asking Iran to— asking Saudi Arabia to talk to Iran regarding this aspect. So, and of course, as you know, the visit which happened before, I usually do not like to jump on, on be the first to talk. This is one problem that I need you guys to be aware of when it comes down to YouTube. There is a lot of individual— they are more power to do whatever they want, that's their, their channel, they can do whatever. It's just everybody rushes into, I am being the first to talk about this topic or that topic, with no understanding of the dynamics. So what people end up is they end up consuming information that is not factual or accurate or objective. But again, it's their prerogative. I was aware of the trip. I did not want to do a video on it till I gathered my facts, till I get the information. Some will say, when it becomes old news, then be it. I'd rather be right than just, uh, speed up, be the first to do a video, whatever. I don't do that, you know. I don't follow the crowd. I'm not a follower. I don't follow the crowd. So you all know how I do things in, in my channel here. So, but anyway, that is the reason why I wanted to wait till I do my own reading, my own research from either white papers, analysis, declassified one, and so forth, and form my own conclusion. Of course, as I mentioned, the trip came, uh, on the heels of the US talks with Iran in Rome at the Omani embassy in Rome. That's what it was. So what I found very interesting about the trip, because usually, usually most of the trips for high-ranking officials, they are limited. It was not the case with this trip. The defense minister, Saudi defense minister, along with about 73 delegates— that's a large delegation— that tells me They want to work on something long-term here. Either the Saudis are very concerned as to what lies ahead, or they don't want to be on the wrong side of Iran because they know Iran's capabilities. As a matter of fact, when I wrote my Saudi book, I disclosed in the book that if hypothetically there will be a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iran will walk over Saudi Arabia in matter of 3 weeks. It'll be over because Iran is far stronger than the Saudis. And this is why, again, the trip with this delegation, uh, uh, which was an official visit, however, it was with an indefinite duration. Another word, there is no time limit. Could stay 2 days, could stay a week. And that tells me right there, there is more than meets the eye or what the media is reporting. And again, I keep going back to the original question as to whether the Saudis are very concerned because they know Iran is not bluffing of targeting countries that will allow their territory to be launched to be used by the US in case there is a war. And that leads me to the question of— one of you asked the question, is the war with Iran inevitable? I don't know. I am leaning more towards no. It's because we have to consider so many other factors before we engage Iran. This is not about the mighty power, the aircraft carrier, the B-2, whatever. All this is all right, it's okay, but it ain't gonna intimidate the Iranians. Will it be a massive devastation? Yes, it will be. Will it be a massive destruction? Yes, it will be. But you will not take down or bring down the Iranian regime. That's one thing for sure. And that's why I'm kind of thinking in terms of Is this why Mr. Trump wants to lean more towards an agreement than a war? Of course, Israel will be happy if we can do that on its behalf. So, and this is why you ask the question, you need to ask yourself a question, is how will the U.S., or how did the U.S. perceive the trip by the Saudis to Iran? Once again, I found myself leaning towards that conclusion. That it could even be discussions between the US and the Saudis regarding the Saudis talking to the Iranians to talk to the Houthis to reduce, uh, the tensions with the Houthis. It is what I wrote in my, uh, in my Saudi book, and I'm going to be sharing 3 or 4 excerpts with you because you need to understand what was going on. Uh, US-Saudi relations have reached a turning point Asia's growing oil demand seems to have convinced the Saudis to pivot away from the United States while maintaining security arrangements with Washington and preposition itself for the impending economic change. Unfortunately for Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar have already embarked on that train and intend to benefit from major economic ventures with China, India, and South Korea. And that makes perfect sense to me when you consider that, uh, uh, the Saudis, uh, are sort of, uh, uh, uh, went back on their commitments to join BRICS. It's because we pressured behind the scenes. And why did we pressure? Because of the amount of gold the Saudis have in the United States. I saw it with my own eyes. Of course, you couldn't take picture in the vault and all that stuff. But what I saw was over $120 billion worth of gold bars. And I know for a fact because I asked, and the person, the manager, indirectly told me that it belongs to— I gave him the list of countries because I didn't want to put the guy on the spot.. And I see just nod. So this way I know, and it was Saudi Arabia. That's why the Saudis pulled back. And to me, this is what I'm saying, uh, uh, and I will be talking tomorrow about this with a, a channel, uh, somebody invited me for this, about, uh, the, the future of BRICS. BRICS will not be as powerful as it can be if they stay on the format they are. Get rid of India first. Don't bother with the Saudis, look for countries that can contribute something and create a structure, a secretariat if you will, that has some power into implementing policies and so forth. That, that, that's just the way I, I see it moving forward. So, uh, now when you consider, uh, the Saudi— and by the way Uh, while I'm thinking about it, because there was one particular aspect yesterday I talked about, and one of you put a comment regarding this particular missile by the Iranians, Sayyad, which is a Hunter. Now there is another story to this. There are two versions, and the ones that I checked turns out to be accurate as well. So one of our avid supporters is MYT account, uh, stated, and I quote, Sayyed missiles are named in honor of a Colonel Ali Sayyed Shirazi, an Iranian Army martyr. That is correct. And by the way, his rank is Lieutenant General when he died, and his name was Sayyed Shirazi. So, but there are other resources in the literature that mentioned from within the Iranian government that Sayyad, also the Arabic word for, uh, hunter, was also named, uh, to this. But you're absolutely correct about Lieutenant General Ali Sayyad Shirazi, and that is why this missile has been named. So it can go both directions, and it's up to you to decide which version you want to use. But anyway, I was just thinking about it because, uh, it made sense, uh, uh, and thank you for sharing that with us. Now, when you think about the Saudi, uh, visits, you know, the Khalid bin Salman, who is by the way a brother of MBS, he is the second high-ranking Saudi defense minister to visit Iran since the two countries resumed the diplomatic relations in 2023. And who do we have to thank for that? It's China. And here's the thing: in November 2024, the Saudi Chief of Staff— and I think I did a video for you guys about this— Lieutenant General Fayyad bin Hamad Al-Ruwaili visited Tehran at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart. There is one thing that didn't happen is that both countries did not reach an agreement regarding joint military exercises. I'm not surprised at that because Iranians— and I will highly recommend not doing the exercises with the Saudis. If you want to do the exercises, do them with the Chinese, do them with the Russians, North Koreans, uh, who else will be of value? Yeah, that's about it. That's about it with the Saudis, because you don't want to show what you have. So even though these, these conversations between these, uh, military visits, uh, even the current one, uh, discussed the opportunities for developing this so-called bilateral relations in both the military aspects and the defense fields. And once again, I am— because I am still remember on the 2020, I used to follow this closely because I not only I wrote the book, I did the research on those two countries. And you have to always keep up with the developments, you know, and, and because that's once the relations, uh, diplomatic have been re-established, uh, uh, through China, it became more easier for the Saudis and the Iranians to talk. But that doesn't mean they see eye to eye. Remember the US military presence in Iran— in Saudi Arabia, you know. And of course, should there be a conflict with Iran, are those territories going to be used? Do you think the Saudis will be able to tell the Americans no? You'll be mistaken. You'll be mistaken. So, and it is again where I believe that the trip in itself could also reflect that the Saudis wants to convey a message to Iranian that, hey, we are really neutral in this dispute between you, meaning Iran, and the United States and Israel. But again, Will I buy that? No. That's me. I want— because I sort of know exactly how the Saudi government operates. So, so, so, but suffice it to say that the Saudis wants to send the signals and a message, if I may use the term, that for Iran, that, hey, we do not want to be some sort of a pathway or a conduit or any way towards an attack, uh, that might the US embark on. So, but again, how can you do that if you don't even have your own, or you don't make your own decisions, uh, per se? Because remember, the Saudis are saying, oh, we are supporting Saudi— we are supporting the United States Donald Trump's efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis. Only a few years ago, Saudis were the first on the list to oppose any agreements between P5+1 and Iran regarding the JCPOA. There were two countries, Saudi Arabia and Israel. So, so when the Saudis said, yeah, we don't want a war, we don't want this, we don't want It's a diplomatic jargon. That's just a lip service. So, and here is where, for you, that this will make sense, is when Iranians disclosed that they have warned of threats to regional states if they allow their countries to be used to launch an attack on Iran. So, and I can think of two specific countries, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Why? Because United Arab Emirates has relations, diplomatic relations with Israel. Saudis are talking with Israelis behind the scenes. I was aware of the private visit of the Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia. Yeah, Saudis had no clue. Saudis do not know citizens, they just Sad to say, with all due respect, but they're clueless as to what's going on. So because they are, they, they just a society that is very, very dependent on what the government says and does. That's, that's usually how it is. But there is another element you have to think about. Could also the Saudis decide to go because they want to talk to Iran about the energy? Because remember, The source of the Saudi revenues is energy. Take oil out, the Saudis will become poor, because what do they have? Does— tell me, does Saudi Arabia produce anything? I was there and I saw they can't put anything together. Everything has to be imported, everything. So, and this is why The— either Saudis want to talk to the Iranian about reassuring the global energy markets, and this is just in case of a military conflict. Because remember, what did Iran say? Should ever the US considered launching an attack, what is the first thing Iran is going to do? Does anybody know? Can you guys type in in the chat box? And I did talk about it so many times, you should know. What is the first thing Iran going to do hypothetically if the US launches an attack, which I don't see that happening anyway at this point. Let me see. Oh, Matt Becky, good to see you, Matt. I disclosed your comment that you shared with me on X. Oh, Kira, Kira, I'm sorry, not this one. Where is Kira? I just saw it right here. Uh, man, because we got a lot, uh, because I like to be fair. All right, let me see what it is. They moved that. Anyway, it was Kira. Kira mentioned about the Strait of Hormuz. Yeah, right there, right here, you know, block the Strait. That is correct, uh There's someone also mentioned this one, this one here about, uh, uh, M, you got it. Saleh, which means closing of the strait. That is correct. Yeah, you guys got it, you got it. And this is why the Saudis will have to worry, because once again, what is the source of revenue? This lavish style that the Saudis live under, what is coming from? It's oil, remember. And again, I disclose this in the book. I'm not saying something that is not out there. Out of all the 2,000, there are about 2,000 to 2,500 princes for the whole monarchy, and they all withdraw stipend from the oil revenues. Yeah, all of them, no exception. So And this is why— could it be that the Saudis want to sort of see what Iran is thinking? Oh, or telling the Iranians, oh, there will be no threat to the region's energy markets or oil fields? I don't think so. I don't think so. And again, when you think in the big picture as to where this is going, I mean, you have to think in terms of, uh, Uh, let me, let me, let me just share with you one slide that I did, uh, regarding, uh, uh, for— I have them under my, my, uh, yeah, and Nuclear QSA. Yeah, let me share this with you guys because when I used to do presentations, I of course I kept all my my information here and all that. Let me first share the link on the chat box for my speaking stuff for those who wants to learn more about this one. And okay, this one is taking a little bit longer, is processing, but I'm gonna move on till that one comes out. But, but here is what I argued in my Saudi book. And once again, I, I shared this excerpt with you to make a point. Yeah, right here. So here is what I disclosed back then. And again, I'm just providing a brief one here, and I talked about this back in 2020. So when you think about exactly where things are moving forward, uh, regarding the US-Iran conflict So, so it's not something that I am just considering yesterday. This is again over the years that I have considered all these particular developments, and the possibility of that is there. So, so here is what I argued. As one who visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia many times in an official capacity, I can attest to the influence of its religious establishment, mainly Wahhabist Islam, serving the kingdom as a source of power. Moreover, this is no coincidence given the historical ties between the Al Saud and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. That relationship, which began during the KSA, meaning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's inception, prevails to this day. The Wahhabist establishment provides the Al Saud the religious platform and legitimacy it needs to implement policies and push its agenda forward. That legitimacy not only cements stability for the regime but also acts as an unchallenged source of power. And how could the Saudi population challenge that when the twisted interpretation of Islam's principles have been drilled into their minds since an early age. How could the Saudi population challenge that when they have been told that the ruling monarchy exists to defend Islam? It is as though al-Saud have been given some divine authority to subjugate Muslims within and outside Saudi Arabia to the Wahhabist ideology. Those tactics suggest a lack of diversity of thoughts and ideas. I can understand the fear the Wahhabist establishment and the ruling Al Saud may have if they allow such diversity. Doing so amounts to challenging the misconception about what Islam says versus what the Wahhabist clerics advocate. This is what I argued back then, and again, it's up to the Saudi people themselves to decide. So once again, I find myself moving back to the arguments whether the Saudis visit is because they want Iran to play a role in preventing an escalation in Yemen. An escalation in Yemen can translate into targeting of the Saudi locations. It's because if the drone that the US might use might end up coming out of Saudi territory, Houthi is not going to hesitate, and rightly so. So, and this is why you will think about, uh, one of the goals of the Saudi defense minister trip is to seek Iran's help in preventing, in preventing some sort of an escalation. By the Houthis, because Houthis so far show no sign of backing down. And as a matter of fact, we are, you know, we are shocked and surprised by how many sorties we have conducted. We destroyed the civilian infrastructure, and yet the Houthis still stand. That, that, that just to me, that's how we can Because remember, remember, remember, remember the back in 2019, the repeat of the drone attacks on the Saudi Aramco facilities, which was attributed to whom? To the Houthis. Because it remain a major concern, even though at that time, and I wrote an article I'm gonna put you— I put the— share the link with you if I get to it. Uh, back then when I used to write for the Huffington Post, uh, there is a— here's a link for you guys, just read it later on if you feel like it. Uh, back then it was the argument, okay, if the— if the Houthis are able to target the oil fields, that's very problematic, very, very problematic. And because, uh, here is the thing, and this is the hard truth that most, most people do not know. When I say people, I'm referring to those in the Arab countries like Jordan, Egypt, and all that stuff. So here's the thing. Do you know that the recent strikes, US strikes in Yemen, sometimes it's been carried out with the full coordination of the Gulf allies? Yeah, that's why I can't, I can't trust them. I can't trust them no matter what they say, because the hypocrisy of the highest order. When you hear the leaders of whatever Arab or Muslim country They just blowing hot air, no more, no less. They don't have the gut nor the determination. They don't even have the, the conviction to stand for something that is right. Why? Because the priority is in survival, maintaining power. Gone that era where you think about— and I'm not just blaming them, we have it right here. When the so-called, the incompetent politicians couldn't do the right thing for the sake of the constituents. You know, you know the difference. You know, are you there to serve or are you there for your own benefit? It's no different than Arab leaders, so-called Muslim leaders. That's pathetic. They just using Islam like every other religion that uses a religion to justify whatever. So when you hear the Emir of Qatar or United Arab Emirates, we're gonna have to have a meeting— there is right now a meeting taking place in Cairo about how to end violence in Gaza. How much can we hear about this? I mean, come on. And this is why the Saudis are very concerned. That's why I'm saying Saudis will play both sides. But the Saudis are very concerned that the, the fragile ceasefire that exists between the Houthis and the Saudis— this is why the Saudis are very nervous, because their infrastructure could be attacked. Why? Because the Saudis claimed back then that, oh, the, the US Patriot defense missile system, whatever, was able to shut down. That was a lie. The missile landed on the Saudi territory, the Houthi missile that they launched. It was a lie. I confirmed it and I wrote about it back then. Just go back to Huffington Post, all my articles are there that I wrote about. I say it's a lie. Of course they don't want to show because that's a slap in the face for the US system that is unable, which what we are seeing right now in Israel. Do you think the Israeli defense system was able to shut down the, uh, the Houthis' missiles? Some of them went through. And if Houthis are able to do this, can you imagine what Iran will do? And same thing with some other Arab countries, uh, like for example, I was made aware of that Morocco just purchased some, uh, uh, uh, special type of missile drones, uh, from the US at a tune of a billion dollars. Is the same model that the Chinese make. It's called HQ-7, cost a fraction. Let alone Morocco is not in a position to afford a billion-dollar weapons when the economy is sinking and unemployment is going high. Same arguments I make about the Saudis, you know, you know, buying weapons at the expense of the, uh, the economy or the Saudi people. And this is why there are those, uh, apologists that argue, hey, there is nothing wrong with the US-Saudi relations. Those same apologists, you know, say that everything is working in harmony, which just doesn't make any sense. So, and this is why things should emerge from this everlasting relations, because every relations will come to an end at some point. So I agree, I'm not denying that the US-Saudi relations will survive for some time. I'm not saying, but the sometime I'm referring to probably just the next decade. That's about it. The same thing with the status of America. I'll give it about a decade. But they will eventually, this relation, even relationship between US and Saudi will eventually collapse. So, and that is not because Washington wants such an outcome. Rather, several issues will cause the collapse, the changing of the geopolitical landscape. And those issues including, in addition to that, is the Saudi Arabia's sort of demise from within. Now specifically, when you look at the royal infighting, remember how MBS came to power now. He jumped from the end of the line all the way to the forefront. Do you think other princes gonna forget about that? I don't think so. So the royal infighting in itself will lead to factions based on bloodline, and that will undermine each, each, each other. So then you look at other countries like Iran, like Kazakhstan, like Russia that sort of will be able to meet the demand of the global energy market in case things go sour for Saudi Arabia. So this is why Saudi society, particularly the young, will feel the loss of oil revenues. Yeah, eventually. And I argued this back then, and I still stand by my position. The Saudi population will wake up to the reality that the Al Saud monarchy has all along used religion to justify its monopoly on the country's resources, you know, and of course to fund its lavish lifestyle. Eventually you have the marginalized, the minorities that did, uh, this, uh, The minority, disenchanted also, the youth and the forgotten, what they're going to end up doing? They might end up demonstrating in the streets. And this because they will force the Saudi government to either meet their demand or face the consequences of civil disobedience and a social unrest. This is why during the Arab Spring, you all remember, There were no demonstrations in Saudi Arabia. Do you know why? Saudis put about $10 billion, to my knowledge, to quiet down people demonstrations. That's what happens. And this is why you have to think— and I'm gonna end here, guys, because that's all I have to share with you— this is why you have to think in terms of what the significance of a trip like this. Let alone those were sort of arch enemies. And yet all of a sudden, and the timing of it, I bet you Saudis are very scared and concerned because they know Iran is not bluffing because there is a major presence. When I was in the Saudis, I remember I did some work for the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. At that time. You can look him up. His name is Dr. Michael Vickers. By the way, he was the one who wrote 1,000 pages for his dissertation. So very smart guy. So, and I was involved in some of the work that— just to highlight to you the idea. So this is why the Saudis are very concerned, and it behooves them to take the trip to Iran You didn't see it the other way around, that the Iranians will visit. No. And I'm gonna end this with really an interesting way I ended my Saudi book. And to those, by the way, who might be interested in— let me just see if I can get you the link for that right there, guys. If you are interested, you can just go to this link and check it out. If you are interested, you can purchase a copy of one of these books. And by the way, I'll be happy to answer any questions from— once you read the book, and if I ever meet you, which I hope one day, I'll be happy to autograph it for you. So, so anyway, let me end this one here with this conclusion from my book and that's it, go from there. So here is what I wrote back then. The inevitable demise of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not a fiction. It is an emerging reality that requires the undivided attention of diplomats, intelligence officers, foes, investors, weapon dealers, energy analysts, the Chinese, the fundamentalists and the Shia. It requires the undivided attention of the Saudi commoner who wonders whether his life has any meaning, of the Saudi citizen who questions why the Al Saud have to cater to his needs from cradle to grave, and of the Saudi citizen who realizes the deceit and the bravado shoved down his throat for so long and now grasps the truth that it is not too late to act. My concluding thoughts is that when a hardliner Islamic entity ends up controlling Saudi Arabia, it will most likely distance itself from the United States in order to acquire some legitimacy in the eyes of the Saudis. Who wants change. At that point, it will probably be time to drop the Saudi in Saudi Arabia. The Muslim world will wake up and say, good morning, Arabia. That's the way I see it. Anyway, that's all I have to share with you guys. I hope you find it very interesting. I want to say thank you to Army with Harmony for your continued support. Can US turn Yemen against— no, they won't be able to. Those people are not for sale. Now you can do this with some other entities, but even not the population, you do it with the governments. You know, I witnessed some. I'm not denying it. I don't hide this. I witnessed some where we corrupted the officials in the governments. So, but not with the population. No, they won't be able to. So that's the way I see it. Thank you so much for your, uh, super sticker. Uh, for those guys, please hit the like button, and I will greatly appreciate if you can share the channel with others and ask them to subscribe. So remember, I don't have a sponsor for this channel. I don't, and I don't want to. I have you. That's all it matters. So if you want to support the channel, I will greatly appreciate it. If you don't, that's your prerogative. So at least you're learning something here. So, and I am sure you appreciate the energy and efforts that goes into all this. So once again, thank you so much for your kind support. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys, bye-bye.