Washington D.C, 31 May 2022 (TDI): The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, held a telephonic conversation with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
They discussed the importance of strengthening the truce in Yemen. Secretary Blinken expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its efforts to strengthen and extend the truce in Yemen.
Moreover, they discussed the economic, environmental, and humanitarian threats posed by the Safer oil tanker in the Red Sea region.
“Safer” is an oil storage and offloading ship currently moored in the Red Sea, near the city of Al Hudaydah. It contains 1.14 million barrels of oil and is on the verge of collapse.
Furthermore, the Secretary highlighted the importance of international support for Ukraine against its war with Russia. The officials also emphasized the need for a global response to the food security crisis resulting from the war.
In addition, the foreign ministers talked about Iran’s nuclear program and ways to counter it. They agreed that Iran’s nuclear program poses a challenge to and destabilizes the regional security order.
Finally, the US Secretary and his Saudi counterpart discussed enhancing cooperation on regional issues.
United States-Saudi Arabia Relations
The United States recognized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1931 and established full diplomatic ties in 1940.
Both countries have a history of cooperation on regional issues. Their interests align in preserving the stability, security, and prosperity of the Gulf and MENA regions.
In addition to political and security ties, both countries enjoy good economic, educational, and cultural relations as well.
The US is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner, while Saudi Arabia is one of the largest trading partners of the US in the Middle East. In addition, Saudi Arabia is the third leading source of imported oil for the US.
Furthermore, the US and Saudi Arabia have established good military ties. Saudi Arabia is the US’ largest foreign military sales customer, with more than $100 billion in active deals.
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