The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, received on Sunday a phone call from the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Prince Faisal and Blinken discussed the major regional developments, including efforts that aim to end the war in Gaza, and the latest developments in Sudan and Yemen.
🇸🇦📞🇺🇸 | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan receives a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. pic.twitter.com/OoDlMUIv80
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) August 18, 2024
According to the US Department of State, both officials discussed the vital efforts to prevent further escalation in the region and reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Moreover, Blinken thanked Prince Faisal for Saudi Arabia’s work to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
As for Yemen, Blinken stressed that the US “shared concerns about Houthi actions, including its seizure earlier this month of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a,” the State Department’s press release added.
Furthermore, the US Secretary of State thanked the Saudi Foreign Minister for the Kingdom’s role in co-hosting talks in Switzerland that aim to implement the Jeddah Declaration and achieve an end for hostilities in Sudan.
The phone call between Prince Faisal and Blinken came after the latter’s arrival in Israel on Sunday on his ninth trip to the Middle East since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Blinken’s visit aims to push for a ceasefire and a hostage deal to end the war in Gaza.
The US Secretary of State will meet top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday before travelling to Cairo on Tuesday, reported Reuters.
