Will Saudi Arabia’s New King Be Pro-American?

Saudi Arabia has a new king. Salman bin Abdul-Aziz became the country’s king after King Abdullah died Thursday. King Abdullah was 90 years old and had been in power for nearly 20 years. King Salman, 79, has served since 2011 as defense minister.

Currently, Saudi Arabia is considered an ally of the United States. But that could soon change with Salman’s appointment as king.

King Abdullah supported Syrian rebels attempting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is a strong ally of Iran’s. Abdullah also supported Egypt’s military-backed government when it overthrew its Islamist president. He also committed airpower to support U.S. efforts in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq.

Pundits predict King Salman will continue the same major policies of Abdullah. They believe this includes maintaining an alliance with the U.S. and positioning itself as a bastion against Iran’s influence in the Middle East.

But Saudi Arabia is not the ally many think it is. As the leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, it is currently driving oil prices down as a means of hurting Iran. But it could also be an attempt to destroy the U.S. fracking industry. This industry has been America’s biggest single creator of full-time, middle class jobs since 2008.

The Trumpet predicts that Saudi Arabia will soon become openly hostile to the U.S. It is probably searching already for a replacement ally in its effort to counter Iranian influence in the region. For a detailed look into this forecast, watch Gerald Flurry’s Key of David program “Psalm 83 Alliance Is Being Fulfilled.”