SAUDI ARABIA: According to a senior administration official, U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss regional missile and defence capabilities on Saturday when he meets with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia. He will be attempting to include Israel in a new axis that is largely motivated by shared concerns over Iran.
“Since Israel needs to have strong air and missile defence capabilities, we think it is really valuable to include as many of the regional capabilities as we can. However, we are speaking with these countries on a bilateral basis “an official from the administration informed journalists.
On his first trip to the Middle East as president, Biden has downplayed his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in favour of the summit with six Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq that is scheduled. Because of violations of human rights, that encounter has garnered condemnation in the United States.
After Saudi operatives killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, Biden pledged to declare Saudi Arabia a “pariah” on the global stage. He did, however, come to the conclusion that U.S.. interests required a recalibration, not a rupture, in relations with the region’s most powerful oil exporter.
At a time when crude prices are high, there are other issues relating to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and Biden supports attempts to put an end to the Yemen war where a temporary truce is in effect, he needs the support of the largest member of OPEC, Saudi Arabia.Washington also aims to weaken Iran’s grasp on the region and China’s influence on the world stage.
