Top Biden aide and Saudi Crown Prince discuss Yemen, Iran in phone call: White House
Al Arabiya EnglishApr 12, 2023
The Facts
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday to discuss what the White House called "significant progress" in Yemen peace efforts as negotiations between the kingdom and the Houthi rebels progress.
Sullivan also held joint talks with Salman, UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and India’s national security adviser Ajit Doval “to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world,” according to the White House.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The steps being made toward peace in Yemen are a sign of real progress, as the US and Saudi Arabia have worked together to end the conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. Though relations between the Kingdom and the Biden admin. have been strained, cooperation is still occurring. With proper diplomacy, a permanent settlement can hopefully be reached in the near future by these two longtime allies.
Establishment-critical narrative
The only role that the US has played in Yemen has been enabling Saudi war crimes and obstructing the peace process. The US seeks to keep the region divided and unstable, as that makes dominating it far more straightforward. Peace can be achieved in Yemen, but such peace must be made outside of US hegemonic geopolitics.
Pro-China narrative
Though there is much talk regarding Washington's role in finding a political settlement in Yemen, it might be China that ultimately holds the keys to an agreement that ends the war. Chinese diplomacy has already created a détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the next step could be ending regional conflicts like the one in Yemen. The US may have to step aside and let the PRC mediate the region's conflicts.