On Monday, February 17th, the U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the capital city of Riyadh to discuss the Yemen war and the Gaza issue.
The State Department stated that Rubio and the Saudi Crown Prince “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing a ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the release of all hostages, including American citizens, held by Hamas.”
The statement added, “The Secretary emphasized the importance of efforts to contribute to the regional security plan for Gaza.”
The State Department stated that during the meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Rubio emphasized the “strength of the U.S.-Saudi relationship” and expressed the expectation to “enhance economic and defense cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia.”
They also “discussed ways to advance the interests of Syria, Lebanon, and the entire region, including Red Sea security and freedom of navigation.” The statement did not mention President Trump’s proposed plan for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate the Palestinian population. It is reported that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries strongly oppose Trump’s proposal.
A Saudi statement indicated that Rubio and the Crown Prince “discussed regional and international developments” and efforts to “ensure the security and stability of the region.”
In addition, Rubio also met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, but both did not comment to reporters afterward. Rubio is scheduled to meet with the Saudi King on Tuesday, February 18th.
Accompanied by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Rubio arrived in Riyadh from Israel. While in Jerusalem, Rubio strongly supported Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s uncompromising military actions against Hamas in Gaza.
Witkoff played a key role in brokering the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on January 19th and led to a prisoner exchange involving hostages held by Hamas.
The State Department announced that Rubio, Waltz, and Witkoff will meet with a Russian delegation, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Riyadh on Tuesday to seek a ceasefire proposal to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This marks a significant shift in the Trump administration’s policy of isolating Moscow, aimed at facilitating a meeting between Trump and Russian President Putin.