Saudi Arabia: The White House has stated that the United States’ national security adviser, Mr. Jake Sullivan, has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and reviewed “significant progress” in Yemen peace efforts.

According to the statement, on a trip aimed at strengthening once complicated ties with Riyadh, Sullivan also held joint talks with the crown prince, UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and India’s national security adviser Mr. Ajit Doval “to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world.”

Mr. Sullivan’s meeting came after a period in which US-Saudi ties have been damaged by oil production cuts by Saudi-led OPEC+ and the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“He reviewed significant progress in talks to further consolidate the now 15-month-long truce in Yemen and welcomed ongoing UN-led efforts to bring the war to a close, as well as covering a range of other issues,” the White House statement remarked.

During the meeting, Mr. Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s top national security aide, also thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi support for US citizens during evacuations from Sudan.

In 2015, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, took over the government in Sanaa. In mid-April, a Saudi delegation held peace talks in Sanaa with the Houthis, with both sides making progress towards a permanent ceasefire.

The Yemen conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths and one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with many viewing it as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

During the US National Security Adviser’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a senior Israeli security official expressed hope for a breakthrough in normalising ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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