The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss peace efforts in Yemen and other issues. The talks were aimed at strengthening ties between the US and Saudi Arabia and reestablishing the US as the key player in the region. The White House said that “significant progress” was made in consolidating a 15-month-long truce in Yemen.
In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, took over the government in the capital city of Sanaa. The countries that are part of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Sudan. Qatar, Sudan and Morocco have exited the coalition.
Sullivan also held talks with UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan and India national security adviser Ajit Doval to discuss how to “advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world.” The United States has provided military support to Saudi Arabia for decades and considers the country a key ally in the region for its role in maintaining security and stability.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter and has been a key supplier of oil to the United States for many years. The two countries also have significant economic ties. This relationship was impacted due to issues such as human rights, the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Recent oil production cuts by Saudi-led OPEC+ have also hurt bilateral relations.
