Israel-Hamas war: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wait for hours for a meeting and then eventually met him the next day, according to a report by The Washington Post. The meeting was part of Blinken’s efforts to rally support against Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
Despite the reported postponement of the meeting and differing views on the “escalation” of the war, Blinken told reporters that his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were “very productive”.
Israel-Hamas war Blinken was in Saudi Arabia last week as part of his multi-Gulf nation tour in a bid to align their views with Washington’s in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Blinken wanted Arab nations’ support in condemning Hamas militant groups and seeking their help in tampering down anti-Israel tensions in their countries.
But what awaited Blinken was an unprecedented snub from the Saudi leader on Saturday (Oct 14).
Upon arriving in Riyadh, Blinken headed straight to the Crown Prince for a meeting later that evening. But Mohammed bin Salman turned up only the next morning, making the US official wait for several hours, reports the outlet.
MBS also apprised Blinken about Saudi Arabia’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to mitigate the crisis and establish peace, involving dialogues with regional leaders. This may also include talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
He also highlighted that Palestinians achieving their legitimate rights and securing a just and lasting peace is the need of the hour. The US secretary of state however pointed out that Israel has the right to defend itself against these attacks from Hamas and to try to do what it can to ensure this never repeats.
