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US President Biden remains committed to the Middle East: “They don’t want to leave a vacuum for China and Russia,” he said in Saudi Arabia. The common enemy is Iran.

According to President Joe Biden, the United States does not want to turn its back on the Middle East. Above all, they want to push back the influence of China, Russia and Iran.

“Let me make it clear that the United States will continue to be an active and committed partner in the Middle East,” Biden said at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.

We will not leave a vacuum for China, Russia or Iran to fill.

Joe Biden, US President

The Council is the most important political and economic alliance in the Gulf. Members are Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which dominates the group.

On Saturday, in an expanded format (GCC+3), Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and King of Jordan II. Abdullah also attended.

Riyadh: Perception of threat from its arch-enemy Iran

Saudi Arabia, among others, sees its arch-enemy Iran as a major threat to the region. Biden reiterated that the United States will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. he said:

We are also trying to use diplomacy to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.

Joe Biden, US President

He was referring to US efforts to revive the nuclear deal with Iran.

Biden: Iran will never have nuclear weapons

However, negotiations on this issue stalled. “No matter what happens, the United States is determined to ensure that Iran never has nuclear weapons,” Biden said.

There were several direct talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Baghdad. After the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said that these were positive, but not the desired result so far.

ZDF-US correspondent Elmar Theveßen, accompanying Biden’s tour, spoke of “clear signals to Iran, but also to China.” “The United States continues to be a protective force in the region. This is as important for the Gulf states as it is for Israel.”

Biden: Region more united than ever

Biden, who is traveling to the region for the first time as head of state, talked about the first visit by a US president since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, where US troops were not involved in combat operations in the Middle East.

The region is more united than ever before. Former rivals have forged diplomatic and economic ties – possibly a reference to the rapprochement of several Arab states with Israel under the so-called Abrahamic Accords.


Saudi Arabia still does not recognize Israel, but announced that it will open its airspace to and from Israel during Biden’s visit. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal said no comparable additional steps are planned.

Much criticism of talks with Crown Prince bin Salman

Biden has received a lot of criticism for his previous visit to Saudi Arabia. US intelligence services see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman behind the murder of government critic Jamal Khashoggi. US-based journalist Khashoggi was killed by a death squad in the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul in 2018.

When Biden met the crown prince on Friday evening, he said he handled the murder “clearly” – but denied any responsibility. Biden said:

He basically said he wasn’t personally responsible for it. I said I believed it was him.

Biden, Crown Prince bin Salman

The Saudi government warned the United States against interfering in the case. “Forcing values ​​is inefficient,” said Saudi Arabian-funded news channel Al-Arabiya, quoted by a government official.


US President Joe Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

During a meeting on Friday evening, Crown Prince Mohammed assured Biden that the kingdom was “taking the necessary steps in the Khashoggi case”.

On the sidelines of the summit, Biden held several bilateral meetings with heads of state and government of Arab countries. On Saturday, the 79-year-old boarded the presidential plane, Air Force One, for the flight back to Washington. Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday and then visited the Palestinian territories.

More on the meeting between US President Biden and Crown Prince bin Salman:

Source: ZDF

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