In addition, budding ties with Israel are not only underpinned by shared enmity with Iran, but also a possible hedge against the perception that the U.S. Prince Mohammed’s rise to power has ushered with it a new era for the kingdom, one in which Saudi Arabia is more assertive on the world stage as it expands its relations with Russia and China. It’s an image that the crown prince has been eager to foster as he solidifies his path to the throne after sidelining, detaining and seizing the assets of royal rivals and critics. The two men sat across from each other, an arrangement that burnished the perception that they are counterparts. ![]() Biden was shown shaking hands with King Salman, the 86-year-old monarch who suffers from poor health, including two hospitalizations this year, while the crown prince looked on.Īfterward, reporters were only briefly allowed into a meeting that Biden and the crown prince held with their advisers. They also released a steady stream of photos and videos from private meetings that journalists were barred from attending. ![]() The Saudis carefully controlled the visit, even trying to bar Post reporters from a briefing with government officials before relenting. The current OPEC+ agreement expires in September, opening the door to potentially higher production after that, although questions remain about how much excess capacity the Saudis have.īiden’s nearly three hours at the royal palace were widely seen as a diplomatic victory for Prince Mohammed, who has tried to rehabilitate his image, draw investments to the kingdom for his reform plans and bolster the kingdom’s security relationship with the U.S. But after his meeting with the crown prince, Biden hinted that relief could be on the way, although “you won’t see that for another couple of weeks.” The United States played down expectations for any immediate increases in Saudi oil production, which could help alleviate high gas prices that are politically damaging to Biden back home. The agreement followed an earlier announcement that the Saudis were ending strict limits on Israeli commercial flights over their territory.īiden also said progress was being made on extending a cease-fire in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia had been battling Iran-backed militants for years, leading to a humanitarian crisis. “I indicated I thought he was,” the president said he replied. “I’ll always stand up for our values.”īiden said Prince Mohammed claimed that he was “not personally responsible” for the death of Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post. “I said, very straightforwardly, for an American president to be silent on an issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am,” Biden said after the meeting. intelligence believes was approved by the heir to the throne. But Biden insisted that he did not shy away from pressing the crown prince on the kingdom’s abuses, particularly the 2018 murder of the U.S.-based writer Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. It was the first encounter for the two leaders, and their chummy gesture was swiftly criticized.
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