US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also received on Monday Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Gaza plans, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio’s visit to the Middle East follows President Donald Trump’s contentious proposal to relocate Palestinian citizens in Gaza to other Arab nations while the US leads reconstruction efforts. The initiative has come under fire across the Arab world.
Rubio during the meeting called for a sustained resolution of Gaza that would promote regional security, Bruce told a readout. The leaders also reiterated their backing for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which was negotiated last month. Apart from Gaza, the two leaders discussed broader matters of the region, including developments in Syria, Lebanon, and the Red Sea.
Saudi state news agency SPA says that the meeting was focused on regional and global trends and the ongoing search for stability and security.
Rubio made his initial visit to the Middle East while Secretary of State last week following meetings with Israeli leaders. His trip comes before a scheduled US sit-down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with discussions on Ukraine’s war, and US-Russia ties overall. The Ukrainian conflict did not come up during remarks, though, among either Saudi authorities or the State Department.
