it at a just price , " Khomeini wrote . " The oil flow will continue after the establishment of the Islamic Republic , except for two countries : South Africa and Israel , " he added . To develop the country , Iran needed the assistance of others , " in particular the Americans " , Khomeini wrote .
He said he 's hoping that independents in his district , 34 percent of the population , will register to vote for him in the Republican primary in June . Though he supports Sen. Ted Cruz ( R - Texas ) for the Republican presidential nomination , Beinstein says real estate developer Donald Trump has " come closest to calling out what [ the Saudis ] have done . " Trump has threatened to cut off U.S. purchasestransaction.transfermoney.purchaseof oil from the Saudis until they pledge ground troops to battle ISIS militants and pay for U.S. military protection . He has also endorsed the idea that the Saudis are behind 9/11 , aware that war - weary Americans are still questioning why Iraq was a target after the attacks . Questions over U.S.-Saudi relations have gained steam in recent months , in part because of voters ' and lawmakers ' perception that the kingdom wants the U.S. to be more involved in the Middle East -- notably in Yemen , but also in Syria -- than most Americans would like to be .
“ Look , Saudi Arabia is going to be in big trouble pretty soon , ” the billionaire businessman predicted . “ And they ’re going to need help . ” On Friday , Trump said , if elected president , he would consider stopping American oil purchasestransaction.transfermoney.purchasefrom Saudi Arabia unless the Saudi government provide troops to fight the Daesh ( ISIL ) terrorist group . " And yet , without us , Saudi Arabia would n't exist for very long , " Trump said during a lengthy foreign policy interview published by the New York Times on Saturday . " We ’re not being reimbursed for the kind of tremendous service that we ’re performing by protecting various countries .
ADVERTISEMENT So far , 19 Republicans and 17 Democrats have signed on to the letter , including 's vice presidential pick , Sen.(D - Va . ) . The proposed increase , of $ 319.9 million , would go toward three U.S.-Israeli missile defense programs and more purchasestransaction.transfermoney.purchaseof Iron Dome systems , which would include co - production of the systems in the U.S. The senators are urging their colleagues , who are working with House members on a final version of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , to include the funding levels authorized by the House 's bill , rather than the Senate 's . The House bill authorizes $ 600.7 million for research , development , test and evaluation ( RDT&E ) and procurement of the systems , while the Senate bill authorizes $ 280.8 million .