Joe Biden will see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of talks with a Saudi delegation, the White House announced Thursday, trying to downplay the gravity of the meeting after the diplomatic crisis caused by the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The US president “will be participating in a bilateral meeting with King Salman and his leadership team and (…) the crown prince is part of that team,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
According to Mr. Kerby, this is currently the only meeting planned between the prince and the US president during the Democrat’s visit to Saudi Arabia next week.
For many observers, however, the meeting will help restore the international image of the crown prince, who lost much of his footing and became internationally isolated after the assassination of the Saudi journalist, a late critic of the regime, in Riyadh in 2018.
US intelligence has concluded that Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of the Washington Post columnist, which Saudi authorities deny.
Joe Biden said, before he was elected to the White House, that he would turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” state and that he would reject any possibility of talking directly with Mohammed bin Salman.
But soaring energy prices, partly attributed to the war in Ukraine, and tensions in the region linked to Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs have turned the tables, turning the 36-year-old crown prince into unavoidable factor.
In his visit to the state that is considered the main US ally in the Arab world, Mr. Biden will discuss “strengthening regional cooperation”, especially in “air defense”, John Kirby clarified.
The American president is invited to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a diplomatic forum in which various Arab monarchies participate.
“We will continue to work on integrated air defense capabilities throughout this region,” due to “concerns about Iran and its growing ballistic missile capabilities, not to mention its support for terrorism in the region.” added Mr. Kirby.
Tehran, a key ally of the Syrian regime, the Shiite Hezbollah faction of Lebanon and the Palestinian Hamas – these are three sworn enemies of Israel – is also accused of militarily supporting the Shiite Houthi rebels of Yemen.
“We are talking bilaterally with countries in the region about air defense capabilities and will explore the idea of ​​complementing them,” of combining them to “truly improve (air) cover in the face of the growing Iranian threat,” the spokesman explained.
SOURCE: APE-ME
Source: Capital
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