White House: Biden Will Meet With Saudi Crown Prince

Axios reports:

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.

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 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.

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NEW: White House announces Biden will visit Saudi Arabia during Middle East trip in July, expects to meet crown prince Mohammed bin Salman https://t.co/I2M7vGD9kU

— Axios (@axios) June 14, 2022