National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday about the ongoing Saudi-Houthi peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen. According to the White House, Sullivan "welcomed Saudi Arabia's extraordinary efforts to...
Syrian Foreign Minister Arrives in Saudi Arabia for the First Time Since 2011
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Riyadh and Damascus are working toward normalization. Mekdad's trip marks the first time a Syrian foreign minister visited Saudi Arabia since 2011, when Riyadh cut ties with Damascus and...
Saudi Arabia Hosting Meeting on Bringing Syria Back Into Arab League
Saudi Arabia will host a meeting this Friday of Arab foreign ministers to discuss bringing Syria back into the Arab League, which suspended Damascus in 2011, Reuters reported Tuesday. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the meeting will be...
Saudi Delegation Arrives in Yemen for Talks With Houthis on Ending the War
A Saudi delegation has arrived in the Yemeni city of Sanaa to negotiate with the Houthis, as multiple reports have indicated a peace deal between the warring sides is near. Omani officials also arrived in Sanaa this weekend as Muskat has been brokering talks between...
CIA Director Tells Saudis the US Was Blindsided By Iran Normalization
CIA Director William Burns visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week to express frustration over Riyadh's surprise normalization deal with Tehran that was brokered by Beijing, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. According to the Journal, Burns told Crown Prince...
Saudi Arabia to Invite Syria’s Assad to Arab League Summit
Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit Riyadh is hosting in May, Reuters reported Sunday, citing three people familiar with the plan. The move would be a significant step in the normalization of Syria's relations...
Saudi Arabia to Join Shanghai Cooperation Organization
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved a decision for Riyadh to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian security and economic bloc that was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and several Central Asian countries. According to Saudi state...
Iran’s President Welcomes Invite From Saudi King After Normalization Deal
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has welcomed an invitation from Saudi King Salman to visit Riyadh following a China-brokered normalization deal between the two countries. Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, wrote on...
UN Official Sees Renewed Momentum Toward Yemen Peace After Saudi-Iran Deal
The UN's special envoy for Yemen said Wednesday that he sees a renewed momentum toward ending the war following the surprise normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran that was brokered by China. The Saudis and Yemen's Houthis have been in Omani-mediated talks...
Israeli Official Says Saudi-Iran Deal the Result of US ‘Weakness’
A senior Israeli official told reporters on Friday that the normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran was the result of the "weakness" of the US and the previous Israeli government. "There was a feeling of US and Israeli weakness and this is why the Saudis...