Blinken-MbS Talks Unlikely To Turn Saudi Focus Back To US

Talks between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah seem unlikely to significantly improve ties between the US and Saudi Arabia in the short-to-medium term. The two held talks earlier today, with an unnamed US official saying to Reuters that there were "open, candid" discussions in which "There was a good degree of convergence on potential initiatives where we share the same interests, while also recognising where we have differences,"

• While there remains cooperation between the two nations, with the US continuing to push for a normalisation of ties between Saudi and Israel, there have been clear signs that other global powers - notably China - are becoming an increasingly influential regional player.
• Reuters reports that "Developing a civilian nuclear programme is among Riyadh's conditions for normalising ties with Israel, a source familiar with the discussions said, [...] However U.S. officials have said in the past they would share nuclear power technology only if the agreement prevents [...] two routes to making nuclear weapons."
• It will not come as a coincidence that Blinken's visit came the day after Iran re-opened its embassy in Riyadh as part of a normalisation agreement brokered by Beijing, with Washington's exclusion from talks coming as a blow the US prestige in the Middle East.
• Just days after Blinken's visit, on 11-12 June, Riyadh hosts the 10th annual Arab-Chinese Business Conference in another symbol of the increasingly close economic and diplomatic links between the two countries.