Washington: The US-Saudi relations have been strained by the recent Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked a diplomatic crisis in the Middle East. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a tour of Arab countries to broker a lasting ceasefire, faced a humiliating snub from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who reportedly made him wait for hours and then canceled their meeting on Saturday.
According to the Washington Post, Blinken arrived in Riyadh on Saturday evening, expecting to meet MBS, who is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and a key ally of the US in the region. However, MBS did not show up for the meeting, leaving Blinken hanging for several hours without any explanation. The meeting was rescheduled for Sunday morning, but the delay was seen as a deliberate insult by MBS to signal his displeasure with the US policy on Israel and Palestine.
The US and Saudi Arabia have divergent views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, which erupted on May 10 and lasted for 11 days, killing more than 250 people, mostly Palestinians. The US has strongly backed Israel’s right to self-defense and blocked several attempts by the UN Security Council to issue a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza and called for an end to the violence and respect for international law. Saudi Arabia also expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where millions of people are facing shortages of water, electricity, and medical supplies.
The difference in tone was evident when the two leaders finally met on Sunday. Blinken told reporters that he had a “very good conversation” with MBS and praised Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting the ceasefire. He also reiterated that Israel has “a right to defend itself” against rocket attacks from Hamas. MBS, however, did not make any public comments after the meeting. According to Saudi media, he told Blinken that the current conflict should stop and that the international community should work to find a lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. He also urged Israel to restore basic services to Gaza and respect the rights of the Palestinian people.
The snub by MBS is not the first sign of tension between the US and Saudi Arabia under President Joe Biden’s administration. Biden has vowed to reassess the US-Saudi partnership and end US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe. He has also imposed sanctions on some Saudi officials involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 but stopped short of directly punishing MBS, who was accused by a US intelligence report of approving the operation. The US-Saudi rift could have implications for regional stability and security, as both countries are facing challenges from Iran, Turkey, and other actors in the Middle East.
