US President Joe Biden has postponed a visit to the Middle East to July, according to several reports citing White House officials. It will be Biden’s first trip to the region since becoming president.
Biden had planned a trip at the end of this month to Saudi Arabia and Israel. Instead, he is now planning a broader trip through the region, NBC first reported. The visit to Saudi Arabia will include a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council +3 Summit, according to the report. Biden will make a scheduled trip to Spain and Germany this month.
Reports have said that Biden will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; this is controversial since Biden ordered the release of US intelligence reports that show that the crown prince ordered the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which the Saudis deny.