Harris' foreign policy record reveals his objectives: Tough stance on Saudi Arabia and reviving the Iran deal.

If Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the President of the United States, Saudi Arabia and its regional allies may face challenges in their relationship with the U.S.

In 2019, Harris criticized the kingdom for the killing of journalist Jamaal Khashoggi and supported a Senate bill calling for a public report on the matter.

In a 2019 questionnaire from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Harris stated that the Saudis were "strong partners," but emphasized the need for the U.S. to "fundamentally reevaluate our relationship" and "use our leverage to stand up for American values and interests."

She also expressed outright opposition to weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.

In 2022, President Biden approved a large arms deal with the Saudis, but later paused offensive weapons sales to the country until this month.

Harris stated that the U.S. should cease its support for the disastrous Saudi-led war in Yemen, in response to CFR.

In June 2019, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the last thing we should do is sell them billions in weapons.

After being elected, Biden abandoned his campaign promise to reassess U.S.-Saudi relations due to the Khashoggi murder and instead reached a truce with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to counter Iran's increasing threat.

For years, his administration has been working to strengthen the U.S.-Saudi relationship through various agreements, including defense guarantees, civil nuclear cooperation, and a historic bilateral agreement to normalize relations between the Kingdom and Israel.

According to Gerard Fillitti, senior counsel at the Lawfare Project, the Biden administration has been proactive in maintaining a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia by providing it with the necessary weapons to defend the region against Iranian aggression, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

"Joe Biden understood the intricacies of Saudi involvement in Yemen," he continued.

"It is unclear whether Kamala Harris comprehends the significance of strengthening Saudi Arabia as a safeguard against Iranian aggression and military operations in the region through its proxies."

The Biden administration prioritized the deal in the Middle East before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan visiting Riyadh multiple times. However, since then, the chances of the agreement being reached before the election have decreased, as sticking points remain due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Middle East experts predict that a Harris-Walz administration may prioritize diplomacy talks over addressing Iran's abuses in order to achieve denuclearization.

"Filitti stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that the biggest threat to the Saudis is Iran. She believes that the new administration will be more open to negotiating with Iran. However, it's important to remember that any time people have negotiated with Iran, the outcome has not been successful."

Firas Maksad, senior director at the Middle East Institute, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that America's regional partners and allies are worried that a Harris administration would be more lenient towards Iran's regional activities compared to a Trump administration.

In her 2019 reply to CFR, Harris expressed her support for rejoining the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which aimed to restrict Iran's nuclear activities.

She stated that President Trump's decision to withdraw from an agreement that prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, despite the warnings of our closest allies and without a plan for the future, was irresponsible.

In 2018, Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, stating that the agreement was insufficient in preventing the Iranian regime's nuclear ambitions, characterizing it as "one of the worst and most lopsided deals the US has ever made."

The former president and his allies reached a deal, viewing it as a necessary compromise to get Tehran to negotiate.

Maksad predicted that Harris would try to rewrite the Iran nuclear deal.

The Iranians have stated that the deal is no longer viable due to technical reasons. However, I anticipate that a Harris administration will prioritize diplomacy with Iran and be willing to overlook its malicious activities in the region in order to achieve a nuclear program agreement.

This week, the Biden administration rejected the possibility of nuclear negotiations with Iran, despite the Iranian leader's willingness to engage in talks.

A State Department spokesperson stated that we are distant from anything similar at the moment.