Saudi Crown Prince Departs to United States

President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (AP)
President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (AP)
TT

Saudi Crown Prince Departs to United States

President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (AP)
President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (AP)

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, departed on Monday to the United States on an official visit.

In a statement, the Royal Court said he is making the visit at the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and in response to the invitation extended to the Crown Prince by US President Donald Trump

During the visit, the Crown Prince will meet with the US President to discuss bilateral relations and ways to boost them across various fields, as well as issues of common interest.

The leaders are expected to elevate bilateral ties between their countries to broader horizons and tackle regional crises they are keen on resolving through peaceful means.

Trump had visited Saudi Arabia in May on his first official visit since being reelected. 

Saudi political analyst Moneef Ammash Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that he expected political issues to top the Crown Prince’s Washington agenda.

Talks will focus on several issues in the Middle East, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the ceasefire in Gaza, supporting stability in Syria and the situations in Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, he added.

Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump will also tackle deepening the strategic partnership between Riyadh and Washington, he went on to say. 

Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit day at the White House on Tuesday will begin with an arrival ceremony on the sweeping South Lawn and a subsequent greeting on the South Portico, revealed a senior White House official on Friday. 

Then Trump will host him in the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting, followed by a signing and lunch in the Cabinet Room. 

Later in the evening, the White House will hold an East Room dinner hosted and planned by first lady Melania Trump. 

 



Six Arab Nations Issue Statement Condemning Attacks by Iran-aligned Iraqi Factions

Smoke rises from the area of Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot (AP)
Smoke rises from the area of Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot (AP)
TT

Six Arab Nations Issue Statement Condemning Attacks by Iran-aligned Iraqi Factions

Smoke rises from the area of Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot (AP)
Smoke rises from the area of Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot (AP)

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan issued a joint statement on Wednesday condemning the attacks carried out by Iran-affiliated armed groups in Iraq against countries in the region and their facilities and infrastructure.

They said these assaults constitute a violation of international laws and conventions, and a flagrant breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which clearly demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease any attacks or threats against neighboring states, including those carried out through proxy groups.

In the statement, the six countries strongly condemned what they dubbed Iranian aggression, whether carried out directly or through proxy armed groups, saying it violates their sovereignty and breaches international law, international humanitarian law, and the Charter of the United Nations.

They urged Iraq to immediately stop attacks from armed groups within its territory to maintain relations and prevent escalation.

The statement affirmed the six countries’ inherent right to self-defense and to take necessary measures to protect their sovereignty and security under the UN Charter.

The statement also condemned the destabilizing activities carried out by Iran-aligned sleeper cells and terrorist groups linked to Hezbollah. It praised the armed forces and security agencies for confronting these threats, protecting national security, and successfully uncovering and dismantling hostile networks.


Saudi Crown Prince, Pakistani PM Discuss Implications of Regional Escalation

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meet in Riyadh last year. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meet in Riyadh last year. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Crown Prince, Pakistani PM Discuss Implications of Regional Escalation

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meet in Riyadh last year. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meet in Riyadh last year. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held telephone talks on Wednesday on regional developments and the implications of the ongoing military escalation on regional and global security and stability.

Shehbaz Sharif stresses his country’s full support to Saudi Arabia, saying it will always firmly stand by its side amid the Iranian attacks against its security and sovereignty.

In a post on X, he said Pakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with the Kingdom, saying it enjoys its absolute support.

He underscored his country’s firm commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty, especially amid the current regional escalation.

He also condemned any attacks that target the Kingdom, hailing its restraint and urging de-escalation and an end to the hostilities.

He said he agreed with Crown Prince Mohammed to continue close coordination.


Fire at Kuwait Airport After Drones Hit Fuel Tank

Vehicles drive along the highway leading to and from Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along the highway leading to and from Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
TT

Fire at Kuwait Airport After Drones Hit Fuel Tank

Vehicles drive along the highway leading to and from Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along the highway leading to and from Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. (AFP)

Drones hit a fuel tank and sparked a fire at Kuwait International Airport, the Gulf state's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday, as Iran presses on with its attacks in the nearly four-week regional war.

Citing preliminary information, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement posted online that the attack had caused only "limited" damage and no casualties.

Firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control, said agency spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB that they had launched missiles and drones at military bases hosting US forces in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain as well as targets in Israel.

The Kuwait National Guard said in a statement that its forces intercepted six drones early Wednesday, and the army said air defenses were "responding to hostile missile and drone attacks".

In Bahrain, the interior ministry said air raid sirens were activated, while Jordan's public security directorate reported shrapnel fell near the capital Amman, resulting in no casualties or damage.

In Israel, the military said air defenses responded to Iranian missiles that triggered warning sirens across much of the country's central region.

The Kuwait airport is largely closed to commercial flights and has come under attack several times since the regional war began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran.

On March 14, the civil aviation authority said an attack with "several drones" targeted the airport and "struck its radar system". No casualties were reported.

Major airlines have suspended flights to the Gulf, or cut back due to fuel shortages linked to the war.