Skip to main content

White House's Sullivan traveling to Saudi Arabia for talks with MBS

1 min Mena Today

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to travel to Saudi Arabia this week for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid a U.S. push for progress toward normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to travel to Saudi Arabia this week for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid a U.S. push for progress toward normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Talks on normalization had been put on ice in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas fighters on southern Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, but conversations have resumed in recent months.

A U.S. official said Sullivan planned talks with the crown prince to check in on the issue but did not expect a major breakthrough.

A second U.S. official said Sullivan would consult broadly on a number of matters.

"He has not been to Saudi Arabia in some time and there’s lots to discuss," the second official said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 21 that the United States and Saudi Arabia had made "good progress" in talks on normalizing ties between the kingdom and Israel, without providing a timeline for concluding a deal.

As part of a normalization deal, Saudi Arabia wants to clinch a mutual defense pact with Washington and get U.S. support for its civil nuclear program.

By Steve Holland

Related

United Nations

Credibility lost: The UN and Francesca Albanese

A U.N. expert has named over 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging their involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a "genocidal campaign." 

Iran

Trump to discuss Gaza, Iran with Netanyahu at Monday meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will discuss the situations in Gaza and Iran when he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week, adding that he hopes to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza soon.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.