Saudi Crown Prince Captures Attention of US Media

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an interview with Fox News (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an interview with Fox News (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Crown Prince Captures Attention of US Media

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an interview with Fox News (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an interview with Fox News (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Extensive media coverage in the United States has focused on Fox News’ interview with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which was aired on Wednesday evening.

The dialogue with the Crown Prince shed light on the situation in the Middle East and relations with Israel.

Additionally, the interview brought attention to the Crown Prince’s commitment to enhancing living conditions of Palestinians.

Topics covered during the interview were diverse and resonated in both political and economic dimensions. They encompassed discussions about Chinese and American leaders, Iran, energy markets, Vision 2030, economic growth, and judicial reforms.

US media outlets gave emphasis to the Crown Prince’s leadership abilities and his willingness to establish improved relations with Iran, while also highlighting his determination to obtain nuclear capabilities should Iran acquire them.

They directly referenced messages conveyed during the interview to President Joe Biden’s administration, which could represent a significant political triumph in foreign policy if negotiations for normalization with Israel were successful.

The New York Post’s Victor Nava covered statements by the Crown Prince on the Kingdom’s approach when it comes to the question of acquiring nuclear weapons if Iran does so first.

According to Nava, the Crown Prince expressed “concern” about the possibility of a nuclear Iran in the wide-ranging interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.

“Well, we are concerned [about] any country getting a nuclear weapon. That’s a bad move,” said the Crown Prince.

“You don’t need to get a nuclear weapon because you can’t use it even if you can get a nuclear weapon.”

The Crown Prince argued that if Iran is able to obtain a nuclear weapon and its authoritarian regime decides to use it, the country would quickly find itself at war with “the world.”

“The world cannot see another Hiroshima,” he noted.

On the other hand, CNN emphasized the statements made by the Saudi Crown Prince regarding the prospects of normalizing ties with Israel.

The news channel pointed to the Crown Prince’s statements on Saudi Arabia getting closer every day to reaching an agreement with Israel.

CNN deemed these statements as unprecedented, particularly in the context of ongoing negotiations being taken “very seriously.”

The Crown Prince had told Baier that a pact with Israel would be “the biggest historical deal since the Cold War.”



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
TT

GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.