Speaking at the pro-Israel lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Monday, Blinken said Washington had "a real national security interest" in advocating for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but cautioned that it will not happen quickly.ĭiscouraging a closer Saudi-Chinese relationship is probably the most important element of Blinken's visit, said Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at Washington-based think-tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
The aims of the trip include regaining influence with Riyadh over oil prices, fending off Chinese and Russian influence in the region, and nurturing hopes for an eventual normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties. The kingdom already snubbed the Biden administration on oil last year, when it reportedly backed out of a secret deal to boost oil production ahead of the midterm elections. diplomat's June 6-8 visit to the world's largest oil exporter comes days after Riyadh pledged to further cut oil production, a move likely to add tension to a U.S.- Saudi relationship already strained by the kingdom's human rights record and disputes over America's Iran policy. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia on May 7. Blinken is expected to meet with top Saudi officials and possibly the kingdom's de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, during his time in Riyadh, the capital, and the coastal city of Jeddah, in what will be Washington's second recent high-level visit.
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