In a tone that was noticeably more amicable than previous comments by the Biden administration over the last year, the White House spoke highly of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, noting it considers the Kingdom an important partner on a host of regional and global strategies.
Speaking during a White House press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized the eight decades-long strategic partnership of the United States with Saudi Arabia, noting that every US president since Roosevelt has met with Saudi leaders.
Jean-Pierre cited Saudi help in the US efforts to end the war in Yemen, contain Iran, and counter-terrorism, noting that Saudi pilots flew in the war against ISIS and Saudi navy patrols in the Red Sea and the Gulf along with the US forces.
Besides that, the US military personnel are also based in Saudi Arabia
Though the Washington-Riyadh relations have soured quite a bit since President Biden’s election in January 2021, the most recent geopolitical developments, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine enticed the Biden administration to tone down its rhetoric and ease the relationship, especially after the Kingdom rejected the US calls to increase their oil output amid market crisis and increased prices.
Although the progressive Democrats have voiced their opposition to the attempts to repair frayed ties with Saudi Arabia, Biden was expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in July to meet with top Saudi officials, including King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – along with a stop in Israel – with Jean-Pierre noting that the US president would meet with any leader if it served the American interests.
After the US-Saudi Strategic Joint Planning Committee met in Washington previously in mid-May, the Pentagon noted that the US has reaffirmed its commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend itself from external threats, stressing the importance of advancing the US-Saudi military cooperation through joint training, exercises, and expanding regional cooperation and security.
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