Deterring Iran, Securing Region Are Joint Goals for Saudi Arabia, US

American and Saudi national flags fly over a main road in Riyadh in 2017. (AFP file photo)
American and Saudi national flags fly over a main road in Riyadh in 2017. (AFP file photo)
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Deterring Iran, Securing Region Are Joint Goals for Saudi Arabia, US

American and Saudi national flags fly over a main road in Riyadh in 2017. (AFP file photo)
American and Saudi national flags fly over a main road in Riyadh in 2017. (AFP file photo)

The ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States were underscored during a telephone call between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and US President Joe Biden on Thursday.

Their talks highlighted Saudi emphasis on the need to preserve the security of the region and deter all acts that may destabilize it.

The telephone call underlines that importance of the joint strategic alliance between the Kingdom and Washington that dates back 80 years.

King Salman and Biden stressed the importance of these relations and their impact on the Arab world. Biden expressed to the monarch Washington’s keenness on strengthening the bonds of friendship and bolstering relations between their countries.

The leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to safeguard regional security, as well as international efforts to end the war in Yemen. Biden assured King Salman that the US was committed to helping the Kingdom defend itself against threats at a time when it is confronting repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.

Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Gulf Research Center, said the telephone call between King Salman and Biden reflects the strategic importance of the Kingdom and its pivotal role in preserving the region’s security and stability.

The US is a main player in the security and stability of the region, whereby the alliance between Riyadh and Washington underscores the common goals they share, such as economic development and prosperity, oil policy and the war on terrorism, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Moreover, he said that Saudi Arabia saw that it was necessary to intervene militarily in Yemen to safeguard regional security. He noted that the US is helping the Kingdom defend its territories.

He said that the international community has let down Yemen by failing to pursue the implementation of United Nations Security Council 2216 that bars the delivery of weapons to the war-torn country.



Saudi Arabia Urges Global Support for Two-State Solution Alliance

A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Urges Global Support for Two-State Solution Alliance

A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)

The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, along with rising regional tensions, took center stage at the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit in Doha, which began on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia urged countries to back the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a key step toward resolving the Middle East crisis.
Speaking on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan attended the ACD summit and highlighted how continued violence in the region is disrupting international trade and fueling political tensions, which threaten investments and economic cooperation.
“The continuation of aggression and violations in the region hinder the movement of international trade and increase political tensions that threaten the flow of investments and economic cooperation between the countries of the region and the world,” he said.
He called for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to regional conflicts to ensure the region’s prosperity.
“We thank Asia Cooperation Dialogue countries for their support for the two-state solution and their recognition of the State of Palestine, and we urge the rest of the world to follow suit,” Prince Faisal said, reminding that the situation has prompted the Kingdom to work with “brothers and allies in establishing a Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution.”
He stressed that the current unrest in Palestine and Lebanon is a major barrier to economic and commercial development in the region.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s continued support for resistance groups.
“The Zionist enemy will be punished, and we will keep supporting the resistance until Palestine is liberated,” said Pezeshkian.
Also speaking at the ACD summit, he emphasized: “Those who violate human rights must know that resistance is strong and cannot be eliminated.”
Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s backing for Palestinian resistance.
After meeting with a Hamas delegation in Doha, Pezeshkian warned that Israel’s ongoing actions had led Iran’s military to deliver a decisive response.
“Israel couldn’t commit these crimes without backing from the US and Europe. If Israel makes any mistake against Iran, it will face a much stronger retaliation than Tuesday’s attack,” he said.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and warned of the consequences of not holding Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.
Speaking at the summit, Sheikh Tamim said: “Qatar has long warned about the dangers of not addressing Israel’s crimes.”
He pointed to the escalating violence in Gaza, noting that true security can only be achieved through a just peace, which includes creating an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
He stressed that Qatar will continue to support the Palestinian people in their fight for their legitimate rights.
“Israel’s relentless attacks on civilians in Gaza and other occupied areas have killed over 41,000 innocent people. What’s happening is genocide, and Gaza is being made uninhabitable to force its residents out,” said Sheikh Tamim.
He also condemned Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, accusing Israel of using international inaction to expand settlements in the West Bank and prepare for annexation.
“We believe in de-escalating tensions and respecting nations’ sovereignty,” he added, stressing that Israel is taking advantage of global silence to push its agenda in the West Bank and Lebanon.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also called for urgent international intervention to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
He warned that Israel’s attacks have destroyed over 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure.
“Peace cannot coexist with occupation, genocide, and the denial of the Palestinian people’s rights,” Abbas reaffirmed at the ACD summit.