US
National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan began his Middle East tour with his first stop at the Saudi city of Neom on Monday. Sullivan is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Saudi officials. Well placed sources said the Neom talks will be dealing with the Yemen and Iran "files."
Sullivan will be the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit Saudi Arabia since the president assumed office in January.
According to the Saudi owned newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat will discuss "the Iranian nuclear file" and efforts to force peace initiatives to end the war in Yemen.
Earlier White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said that Sullivan will be traveling to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, accompanied by the US special envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, adding that he will be accompanied by the NSC senior director for the Middle East Brett McGurk.
Sullivan's visit comes after postponing and rescheduling US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to Riyadh this month, as announced by the US Department of Defense.
Sullivan met with Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the White House last July.
A statement issued by the two parties at the time said that the two sides discussed the long-term partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, regional security, and the US' commitment to helping the Kingdom defend its territory from Iran-allied groups' attacks.
Earlier the Neom, the futuristic techno-city in northwest Saudi Arabia, the venue of current meeting was in news when according to Israeli officials, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) hosted the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo there. While the meeting did not even last two hours, Iran was the main topic of discussion even then.
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