US Secretary of State, Saudi Foreign Minister Hold Talks on Iran, Yemen, Human Rights

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met at the State Department in Washington on Thursday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and the ongoing talks with world powers aimed at reviving the moribund Iran nuclear deal, the conflict in Yemen, and human rights issues. Speaking to the Financial Times, the Saudi foreign minister described the talks as “cordial” and “exploratory,” and said, “For us, it’s not that big a shift. We’ve always said we want to find a way to stabilize the region.” He wrote in a message on Twitter, “I had a productive meeting today with my friend @SecBlinken, during which we discussed a range of issues of common interest & concern to both our nations & ways to strengthen our strategic partnership & cooperation on multiple fronts”. Al Saud also met with Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, and discussed US-Saudi cooperation to counter “Iranian violations of international treaties related to the nuclear agreement,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.