The Saudi’s resume almost full oil production after missile strikes….

• Where it stands: Reuters says that the kingdom is “close to restoring 70% of the 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd) production lost following the attacks,” citing a “top Saudi source.” The same source expects full restoration in 2-3 weeks…..

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On Monday afternoon, Trump said that while it is “looking” like Iran is behind the attack, he noted that an investigation is ongoing. He also said he’d like to avoid war with Iran, but that the U.S. is ready for such a conflict.

Asked if he had pledged to protect the Saudis, Trump said: “No, I haven’t promised the Saudis that. … We have to sit down with the Saudis and work something out.”

Such equivocation is unlikely to deflate the controversy around Riyadh’s role in U.S. policy.

When Trump won the presidency in 2016, few countries were as happy as Saudi Arabia. The Saudis had felt neglected and dismissed under Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, who had prioritized reaching out to Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional archrival.

They hoped Trump would be friendlier to their interests, and in many ways, he has delivered: signing off on weapons deals, abandoning the Iran nuclear deal and downplaying the Saudi state’s human rights abuses. Trump even made Saudi Arabia the first foreign country he visited as president, famously posing in front of a glowing orb with Saudi royals during a conference on fighting terrorism.

But Saudi Arabia’s reputation in Washington is arguably worse now than it has been in nearly two decades — almost as politically charged as in the years immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when it was revealed that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis…..

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