Saudis Kept US Informed on Talks with Iran, Says White House

Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby responds to a question from the news media during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby responds to a question from the news media during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
TT

Saudis Kept US Informed on Talks with Iran, Says White House

Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby responds to a question from the news media during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby responds to a question from the news media during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 March 2023. (EPA)

Saudi Arabia kept Washington informed of its talks with Iran to restore diplomatic relations but the United States was not directly involved, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday.

The road map announced on Friday was the result of several rounds of talks, including some held in Baghdad and Oman.

"The Saudis did keep us informed about these talks that they were having, just as we keep them informed on our engagements, but we weren't directly involved."

The White House believes that internal and external pressure, including effective Saudi deterrence against attacks from Iran or its proxies, ultimately brought Iran to the table, Kirby said.

"We support any efforts to de-escalate tensions there and in the region. We think it's in our interests, and it's something that we worked on through our own effective combination of deterrence and diplomacy."



New Saudi Aid Convoys Arrive in Northern Gaza Strip

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
TT

New Saudi Aid Convoys Arrive in Northern Gaza Strip

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

New Saudi aid convoys, consisting of 31 trucks loaded with 4,494 shelter kits, arrived in the northern Gaza Strip to aid residents and displaced people in Gaza City.
The shelter kits meet families' needs; they consist of blankets, mattresses, cooking utensils, water containers, and other basic needs, and will help residents cope with the difficult conditions in Gaza Strip, SPA reported.
The aid is part of the campaign to raise funds to assist the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, launched by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince.
The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, the executive partner of KSrelief in Gaza Strip, will begin distributing immediately this assistance to displaced families in the northern Gaza Strip, to help alleviate their suffering in the severe cold and the ongoing siege.