US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s defacto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, stressed theimportance of exerting pressure on Hamas. The meeting, which took place atthe Crown Prince’s farm residence near Riyadh, lasted approximately an hourand was deemed “highly productive” by Blinken upon his return to his hotel.
Blinken emphasized the United States’ steadfast commitment to stoppingterrorist attacks by Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, andpreventing the further spread of the conflict, as noted by US StateDepartment spokesman Matthew Miller. Both leaders reaffirmed their shareddedication to safeguarding civilians and advancing stability in the MiddleEast and beyond.
The discussion revolved around the recent violence initiated by Hamas,which triggered a significant retaliatory campaign by Israel, resulting inmore than 2,300 casualties. Prior to the outbreak of violence, there werediscussions regarding progress in US-led efforts to normalize relationsbetween Saudi Arabia and Israel.
However, in the aftermath of the recent conflict, Saudi Arabia temporarilysuspended this process. Blinken hinted that the Hamas attack might havecontributed to disrupting Saudi-Israel normalization efforts.
For Israel, normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia would mark a historicdevelopment, following its diplomatic ties with three other Arab states,including the United Arab Emirates, in 2020. The Saudi Crown Prince isseeking security guarantees from the United States, and discussions on thismatter are part of a broader diplomatic package.
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The State Department noted that Blinken and Prince Mohammed’s meeting alsoaddressed various regional issues, including Yemen, where an uneasy peaceis maintained between the Saudi-backed government and Houthi rebels, aswell as Sudan, where Saudi Arabia has collaborated with the US in mediatingbetween warring factions.
Blinken’s visit to Egypt on the same day is part of his broader regionaltour, with the aim of putting pressure on Hamas and preventing anescalation of the conflict.