Blinken meets Saudi crown prince on Middle East crisis tour

RIYADH: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a crisis tour of the Middle East, met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia has put normalisation with Israel on hold following the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Blinken has been touring the region since Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel on October 7 and killed 1,300 people, sparking a massive retaliatory campaign targeting the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 2,200 people.

Before the violence, the Saudi crown prince, known by his initials MBS, had spoken of progress in US-led diplomacy to normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Saudi Arabia has put the process on hold after the violence, with some suspecting that Hamas wanted to stop normalisation for fear it would further weaken the Palestinian cause.

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Saudi Arabia is the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites, making recognition a historic coup for Israel, which in 2020 normalised relations with three other Arab states.

As part of a package, Saudi Arabia seeking security guarantees from the United States, its longtime partner and consumer of its oil.

“Very productive”, Blinken said when asked by reporters after his meeting with the Crown Prince in Riyadh. After the meeting, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “The Secretary highlighted the US’ unwavering focus on halting terrorist attacks by Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, and preventing the conflict from spreading.”

“The two affirmed their shared commitment to protecting civilians and to advancing stability across the Middle East and beyond,” Miller added.

Yesterday, Blinken also met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. About this meeting, the State department said, “The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed continued engagement with regional partners to prevent the spread of conflict in the region and their shared commitment to taking steps to help protect civilians.”

Blinken has set out last week on a tour to meet with Middle Eastern leaders to discuss the outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas. His agenda included travelling to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.