Iran, Yemen and oil, the topics of Joe Biden's conversation with the Saudi king
US President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia's King Salman discussed energy reserves and developments in the Middle East, including Iran and Yemen, in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, February 10.
"The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring stability in global energy supplies," the White House said in a statement.
The Saudi state news agency also reported that King Salman also spoke about creating balance and stability in the oil market and stressed the need to maintain the OPEC+ agreement.
OPEC+ agreed last week to continue its moderate oil production increases, while members of the group are cautious about calls from major oil consumers for more output to contain prices.
According to reports, Mr. Biden reiterated that the United States remains committed to supporting Saudi Arabia in its defense against attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels.
According to the White House, Joe Biden also briefed King Salman on international negotiations to “reestablish constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.”
The war in Yemen is often seen as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis, who have overthrown the Yemeni government and taken control of Sanaa, say they are fighting a corrupt regime as well as foreign aggression.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, King Salman told Mr. Biden that Saudi Arabia wanted a “political solution” for Yemen.
Joe Biden's last phone call with King Salman was a year ago, around the same time that U.S. intelligence agencies released a report on the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which suggested that Mohammed bin Salman had agreed to Mr. Khashoggi's abduction or killing.
Source: Radio Farda
