US President Joe Biden will discuss regional missile and defense capabilities when he meets Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, where he will seek to integrate Israel as part of a new axis driven by shared concerns over Iran, a senior administration official said. the officer said.
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“We believe that there is great value in including as many capabilities as possible in this area and of course Israel has significant air and missile defense capabilities, as they need it. But we are working with these countries bilaterally. These are discussing,” the administration official told reporters.
On his first Middle East visit as president, Biden has focused on six Gulf states and planned summits with Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.
Biden needs the help of OPEC giant Saudi Arabia at a time of high crude oil prices and other problems related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and encourages efforts to end the Yemen war, where there is a temporary ceasefire. Washington also wants to curb Iran’s dominance in the region and China’s global influence.
The administration official said the US expects to boost OPEC+ production in the coming weeks. Biden is expected to pressure other Gulf producers to pump more oil. The next meeting of the OPEC+ alliance, which also includes Russia, will be held on 3 August.
The US president, who began his visit to the region with a visit to Israel, will hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq before attending a comprehensive summit, where he will “clearly” lay out his vision. and strategy for America’s involvement in the Middle East, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday.
“Their intention is to make sure that there is no empty space in the Middle East for China and Russia,” Sullivan said.
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