Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official, said America’s top weapons customer has defiantly gone behind Donald Trump’s back and showed it is not willing to be subject to Washington’s rules. His analysis comes after The Washington Post published photos taken deep within the desert which defence experts say show that ballistic missiles are being tested and even manufactured on Saudi soil. “There’s an arms race underway,” Mr Rubin, an Arab affairs expert at the American Enterprise Institute, told CNBC.
“Whiplash policy changes in Washington have had their impact on Riyadh: Saudi authorities are no longer going to be constrained by White House whispers.
“The Saudis are demonstrating that they can take matters into their own hands.”
The photos taken at a military base 145 miles west of Riyadh show what looks like structures capable of building and fuelling ballistic missiles, according to analysts from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.
Saudi Arabia is America’s leading security partner in the Arab world and a longtime ally in countering Iran’s influence in the region.
Ballistic missiles have the capacity to carry nuclear warheads which can reach targets thousands of miles from launchpads.
The Saudis’ arch-rival Iran’s frequent testing of such weapons resulted in sanctions being slapped on by international powers.
The decision taken by Riyadh to diverge from the path it has walked alongside the Americans shows its appetite to increase its independence militarily.
If the kingdom admitted it was carrying out the testing it would not be the first time it flouted Washington’s approval when it comes to its missile program.
In 1988 Riyadh purchased Chinese D3-F Silkworm ballistic missiles without a nod of approval from the US. And vthe secretive Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) which oversees the country’s use of missiles “operates with Chinese input”, according to a former Pentagon official.
Speaking anonymously to CNBC, the official added that he “wouldn’t be surprised if there were some Pakistani assistance as well”, given Pakistan’s close ties with both China and the Saudis.
Last year Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed the kingdom would not hesitate to develop nuclear weapons if Tehran did.
When asked if Washington is underestimating the capabilities of its Saudi allies, Mr Rubin said: “The history of America in the Middle East is a history of underestimating what regional states are willing to do.
“So, yes: the US underestimates Saudi Arabia.”
Last week the Saudi energy minister said his country has been on the receiving end of ballistic missile attacks from Houthi rebels in neighbouring war-torn Yemen – but stopped short of confirming his country was carrying out tests with the same weapons.
In response to a question by CNBC about the images of the military base, Khalid al-Falih said: “I really don’t have any information one way or another, so I can’t confirm or deny.”
He added: “But I would say that Saudi Arabia is today a receiver, unfortunately, of a barrage of ballistic missiles that are being launched at civilian installations … the kingdom needs to look after its own defence, our own interest.”
Bruce Riedel, an expert in Gulf affairs who worked for the CIA for 30 years, told the network the photos give rise to the idea the ruling prince began the ambitious project either immediately or not long after his father King Salman’s ascent to the throne in January 2015.
Mr Riedel said: “The timing of the construction suggests that Mohammed bin Salman and his father embarked on building this facility very early after he took charge of the Defence Ministry.
“It underscores a willingness to ignore Washington’s interests and policies from the beginning of his rise to power.”