U.S. Senior Adviser Visits Saudi Arabia for Talks on Middle East Stability and Israel Relations, Media
Shafaq News/ To foster Middle East stability and explore possibilities for normalizing relations with Israel, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, an official in the White House National Security Council told the Associated Press.
According to AP, the closed-door meeting, which took place on Thursday, also aimed to address the ongoing conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. Discussions centered on initiatives to promote a shared vision of a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East, as per a brief statement issued by the White House.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the meeting's agenda included enhancing strategic ties between Riyadh and Washington across various sectors. However, no photos of the high-level meeting were released to the public.
Washington's efforts to convince Saudi Arabia to halt its military intervention in Yemen and exert pressure on global oil prices have faced challenges, with limited success reported, according to the Associated Press.
Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel touted as a potential regional game-changer, remains a complex matter. The kingdom insists it will not formally recognize Israel until a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is achieved, dating back several decades.
The visit by Sullivan follows Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's recent trip to the kingdom, with the goal of promoting further normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan has expressed caution on the benefits of normalization without a concrete path to peace for the Palestinian people.
Recent tensions with the Palestinians and concerns over the current right-wing Israeli government have reportedly contributed to Saudi Arabia's hesitation in progressing toward normalization with Israel. In addition, the kingdom has been pursuing a nuclear cooperation agreement that has raised concerns among nonproliferation experts.
