After weeks of speculation, the agenda for President Biden’s mid-July Middle East trip is set, and it includes a visit to Saudi Arabia during which he expects to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a senior administration official told reporters.
Why it matters: Biden on the campaign trail vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the kingdom’s human rights record and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. U.S. intelligence concluded MBS ordered the killing — an allegation Saudi officials reject.
- The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement of its own confirming that Biden would meet the crown prince and his father, King Salman, on July 15 “to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation as well as joint efforts to address regional and global challenges.”
Russia says it destroyed arms depot full of western weapons (video)
Between the lines: The will-he-won’t-he speculation about a potential meeting with the crown prince has underscored the tension for Biden between realpolitik at a time of tensions with Iran and sky-high oil prices and his desire to put human rights at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy.
Read more: Axios
