US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid on Wednesday stressed the importance of promoting security in the Middle East and deterring the malign Iranian threat in the region, confirming that Iranian interference in Yemen is blocking the path to peace.
Abizaid’s remarks were made at a videoconference meeting attended by Asharq Al-Awsat.
The roundtable with journalists touched on a number of topics, including US relations with Saudi Arabia and policy on regional threats in the Middle East.
While the world waits on the results of the upcoming US election, Abizaid said that he sees no change in the future relationship between Riyadh and Washington.
“There may be some emphasis on different areas that will be different, but I wouldn’t anticipate that the relationship will be anything other than what it has been for 75 years, which is the rock of stability in the region,” he said.
It is worth noting that on October 14, the US and Saudi Arabia held a strategic in Washington.
Abizaid referred to Saudi Arabia's efforts to free US citizens who were held hostage by terrorist Houthi militia in Yemen.
The abducted US nationals were working to restore peace to Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia and UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.
Iranian interference in Yemen makes it more difficult for Houthis to find a path for peace, the US diplomat noted.
Abizaid affirmed that Saudi Arabia and the US share a common goal centered on promoting peace and stability in the region.
Speaking about threats in the region, Abizaid pointed out to Iran deploying its arms in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Referring to the Saudi-US dialogue, Abizaid said the discussions in Washington focused on cooperation in defense, security and intelligence, and critical infrastructure protection, along with promoting resilient energy markets, “especially in light of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Of course, we also talked about the importance of using only trusted vendors and critical information and communications technology in exploring new areas of cooperation and cybersecurity and other areas,” he added.
