US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reiterated his anti-Iranian allegations in an interview with Foreign Affairs.
“We are constantly engaging in ongoing interactions with our Saudi counterparts, and this is true of myself in my conversations with my Saudi human rights partners in Saudi Arabia itself,” Blinken said in an interview about US relations with Saudi Arabia.
He then cited Saudi Arabia as a key US partner in tackling what he called “Iranian challenges.” “Saudi Arabia is our main partner in countering extremism in the region and addressing the challenges posed by Iran, and I hope it will continue to build relations with Israel and its neighbors through the continuation and expansion of the Ibrahim Accords,” Blinken said.
Blinken’s claims come amid reports that US President Joe Biden plans to meet for the first time in the coming days with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his unofficial ruler.
The meeting marks a turning point in the policy of the president, who said before taking office that he intended to turn Saudi Arabia into a “despised state.”
After the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a critical Saudi journalist by Saudi Arabia, Joe Biden used harsh human rights gestures against Riyadh, trying to pretend that the United States, as the world’s human rights police, was not ready to promote trade and Ignore the economic interests, human rights abuses of other countries and even its allies.
Talks about Biden’s reconciliation with the Saudis come at a time when fuel prices are still rising in the United States. Biden has counted on the help of Saudi Arabia as the largest exporter of crude oil.
US consultations with Saudi Arabia have become more urgent in the past two months as the United States seeks to isolate Russia from attacking Ukraine around the world. But Mohammed bin Musliman not only did not condemn Russia’s move, but also rejected Biden’s request to increase oil production.
