Washington: Riyadh Summit Sends Clear Message on Importance of Regional Stability

Leaders of the delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in a group photo on the occasion of the recent Riyadh Summit (SPA)
Leaders of the delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in a group photo on the occasion of the recent Riyadh Summit (SPA)
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Washington: Riyadh Summit Sends Clear Message on Importance of Regional Stability

Leaders of the delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in a group photo on the occasion of the recent Riyadh Summit (SPA)
Leaders of the delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in a group photo on the occasion of the recent Riyadh Summit (SPA)

US President Joe Biden’s policies focus on strengthening US partnerships in the region to promote peaceful solutions, a prominent White House official announced.

The official noted that Biden’s strategies follow two decades of extensive studies of the Middle East region post the September 11 attacks and the policies for regime change, the spreading of democracy, and confronting terrorism.

In a teleconference, the official praised the recent Gulf summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saying that its success sends a clear message about the importance of stability in the region.

As for communication between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the official noted that Washington was “very realistic about that process.”

They emphasized the importance of establishing safety forces to reduce the risk of miscalculation between Gulf states and Iran.

About normalizing ties and trade relations, Iran must first go back on its policies and interventions in the region and work to de-escalate tensions.

The official affirmed that Iran continues to support militias and create instability in the region.

As for Saudi Arabia, he said the US remained committed to the Kingdom’s defense. “We have helped the Saudis quite a bit,” the official maintained, referencing the continued cross-border attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen.

He calculated the Saudis were defeating “9 out of 10 of those attacks” now. “We, of course, want to make sure that reaches ten of ten. That’s an awful lot of our work, day to day.”

On Iraq, the US is prepared for any potential attacks on its forces in the coming months.

“We anticipate, heading into the first part of next year… that some of these attacks might start up again, but we will of course be very ready for that,” the official predicted.

He cited the anniversary of the killing of Iran’s Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and “a few other milestones” as serving as possible occasions for Iran-backed militias to target US interests and forces.



Trump Thanks Saudi Crown Prince for Hosting Washington-Moscow Talks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Trump Thanks Saudi Crown Prince for Hosting Washington-Moscow Talks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Asharq Al-Awsat)

US President Donald Trump thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday for hosting talks between Washington and Moscow this week, calling the Kingdom a “special place with special leaders.”

Speaking at a conference organized by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, Trump said it was “a tremendous honor” to be the first American president to address the FII Institute.

The conference Trump spoke at is being held in Miami, Florida, from Wednesday until Friday.

Launched in 2017, FII brings together investors, policymakers, government officials and international private sector executives from across the globe.

The event is an extension of the Kingdom’s plans to diversify its economy by bringing together changemakers and discussing partnerships and policies for and in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Trump asserted that the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held in Saudi Arabia, represented an important development on the way to ending the war.

“I want to thank Saudi Arabia, but in particular, we have to thank Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting these historic talks and talks that went very, very well,” Trump said.

The US President added: “We gotta get that war over with. You have to see the people that are dying... It’s young people from Russia and Ukraine mostly that are just being decimated.”

“Country of Peace”

Trump’s speech comes as his administration seeks to strengthen ties with its trusted partner in the Middle East, and on the eve of US-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia.

“Country of peace,” read a hashtag accompanying some social media posts about the Tuesday talks from government and state media accounts, according to The New York Times. Others had a hashtag calling the Kingdom “capital of world decisions.”

Meeting Trump’s handpicked envoys in Riyadh on Monday night, Prince Mohammed told them: “We would be more than glad to work with you and with President Trump and his administration. I believe we can achieve positive things, for Saudi Arabia and for many countries around the world.”

The US-Russian talks were attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Meanwhile, Trump has intensified criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“I love Ukraine, but Zelenskiy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump-Putin Summit

Trump has said the Kingdom was chosen for his potential first meeting with Putin since returning to the White House because of the two presidents’ relationship with Prince Mohammed.

The US President proposed the country in his phone call last week with Putin as a venue, according to Dmitri Peskov, Putin’s spokesman.

“We know the Crown Prince, and I think it’d be a very good place to be,” Trump said last week.

The Times mentioned the Saudi and US relationship demonstrated in late January, when Prince Mohammed told Trump that Riyadh intended to bolster its investment and trade with the United States by at least $600 billion over the next four years.