The Economist: ‘As he rose to power a decade ago, Prince Muhammad made a few big gambles. He wagered that he could defeat the Houthis; that he could reshape the Saudi economy; and that Donald Trump would prove a reliable ally. All of them have gone awry at once.’

And: ‘A year ago the IMF expected the Saudi economy to grow by 4% in 2026; now it expects a 3.3% contraction. Whether it rebounds in 2027 will depend on whether peace breaks out in the Middle East—and that will depend largely on Mr Trump. The kingdom thought it had influence over him.’

As well: ‘The Mecca pact, a mutual-defence agreement with Pakistan and Turkey, is an effort to find new allies that could supplant a now unreliable America.’

So many leaders and politicians imagined themselves Trump-whisperers. They turned out to be mistaken.

The Trump-empire does not like to be influenced.

(a sf 2268)