US White House: Biden to Talk with Saudi King, Not Just Bin Salman

"Recalibrating Relations with Saudi Arabia"... Bin Salman Is Being Passed Over
Pro-Saudi Policy Shift Expected... Emphasis on Restoring Ties with Iran

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden is set to hold talks to recalibrate relations with Saudi Arabia, a key ally in the Middle East, and will engage in dialogue with the Saudi king, the White House announced. It is expected that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and a major U.S. diplomatic partner during the Donald Trump administration, will be excluded from the talks, signaling a significant shift in U.S. Middle East policy, which had been centered on a pro-Saudi approach. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department strongly hinted at restoring the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), leading to speculation that the focus of U.S. Middle East policy is shifting from Saudi Arabia to restoring relations with Iran.

According to major foreign media including the Associated Press, on the 16th (local time), White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated in a briefing, "President Joe Biden plans to soon recalibrate the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia," adding, "The president’s dialogue partner will be the Saudi king, not Crown Prince bin Salman, and they will hold talks at an appropriate time." She further added, "Saudi Arabia wants to achieve self-defense, and we are ready to cooperate on that at any time."

Foreign media reported that the announcement to completely exclude Crown Prince bin Salman, who was a key diplomatic partner in U.S. relations and Middle East policy during the Trump administration, signals a major change in U.S. Middle East policy.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Although Salman bin Abdulaziz, the 85-year-old king, is the official ruler of Saudi Arabia, it is known that the 35-year-old Crown Prince bin Salman holds actual power. Former President Trump coordinated the entire Middle East policy centered around Crown Prince bin Salman and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and former White House senior advisor, with whom he had a close relationship. Accordingly, the direction of U.S. Middle East policy during the Trump administration was predominantly pro-Saudi, focusing on supporting the war against Saudi Arabia’s adversary Iran and the associated Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. However, the Biden administration announced a halt to arms exports to Saudi Arabia and stopped supporting attacks on the Houthi rebels shortly after taking office, and has removed the Houthis from the terrorist organization list.

On the same day, the U.S. State Department strongly hinted at restoring the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), leading to forecasts that the future focus of U.S. Middle East policy will shift from Saudi Arabia to restoring relations with Iran. According to CNN, Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared on U.S. public radio (NPR) and said, "If Iran complies with the 2015 nuclear deal, the U.S. will begin diplomacy to resume the nuclear negotiations," emphasizing, "A stronger and longer-term nuclear agreement than before could be discussed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.