Biden affirms US commitment to Saudi defence, calls for diplomacy in Yemen and praises release of rights activists.
United States President Joe Biden spoke for the first time since becoming president with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Thursday as the US prepares to release a report about the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden emphasised the US commitment to assuring Saudi Arabia security from threats from Iran and discussed renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen, the White House said in a statement released by the communications office.Biden and the Saudi monarch addressed “the longstanding partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia” and the “US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups”, the White House readout of the call said.“The President noted positively the recent release of several Saudi-American activists and Ms Loujain al-Hathloul from custody, and affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law,” the White House said.
Al-Hathloul, a prominent activist who had advocated for women’s right to drive in Saudi Arabia, was released from a Saudi prison on February 10 after nearly three years behind bars.In Riyadh, “the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the US President stressed on the depth of the relationship between the two countries, and the importance of strengthening the partnership between them to serve their interests and achieve security and stability in the region and the world,” the Saudi Press Agency said in a statement.
Source: .aljazeera.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
